Sly Cooper: Operation Resurrection
by AlphaDelta1001
Summary: Reposted. Sly thought it was finally over. But somehow, Clockwerk didn't seem to get the message as he undergoes a 3rd resurrection by a very powerful gang who had come to sought revenge on the Cooper family's remaining member.
1. Chapter 1

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

"_They say that 'once you have someone on your tail, it's pretty hard to shake whoever is pursuing you off!' In my case, I'm referring to the ever lovely Carmelita, a cop with the single and powerful motion of capturing me and thrusting me into a jail cell where sanitary and dress codes were pretty harsh. Though, I don't just see Carmelita as an enemy and an officer of the law, but someone I've developed quite a strong bond and relationship with. It was like the two of us were meant for each other. However, when you put a pursuing enemy in a long term case such as my family's blood line from 3,000 BC to 2000 AD, it's not always easy to shake someone like Clockwerk off your list."_

"_Having lived for thousands of years on a soulless fountain of youth and have died once, let alone been rebuilt and dubbed Clock-La and died again, that would make it died twice, I'd say that Clockwerk was a pretty tough nut to crack till he was finally removed from this dimension and sent into his next and hopefully sane incarnation. Our last, fateful battle was fought above Paris, the City of Lights and boy was it a harsh clash. Not only had my arch nemesis been ended by a mere step on by Carmelita when I allowed her to crush the hate chip, but me and my friends left that battle with permanent scars and memories that would continue to haunt us for the rest of our lives on this earth."_

"_It took a while for the effects to kick in, but the gang eventually split up, shattered in a way that left them without a spark. It was then when I believed that our winning streak had finally worn off on us. Murray left on a walkabout while Bentley, unable to walk and forced to use a high-tech wheelchair stayed by my side to rebuild and rethink our on how to get the team back together. Eventually we did, and Murray was back on our team in no time. That was after Octavio was put down with the exception of the water running pure again and when the Australian outback had been returned to its original state with life flourishing again. Our gang was back into full circle after we had removed the diggers from Ayers rock and received the Guru's approval that Murray's training was finally complete. Our focus on getting the team back together gave us the time to think and admonish our thoughts. Never had the gang endured such hardships but was easily set aside by a simple fix up here and there. With all our wounds healed we were finally back on the road, not knowing what was in store for us next…"_

* * *

_**A couple months later…**_

_**After the Cooper gang was reformed…**_

The Cooper gang was having their first lucky break in a month. After twenty big heists, eleven criminal museums broken into, seven armored train hijackings and seven casino raids, the Cooper gang was on a small retreat. However, instead of heading off on vacation or taking a major holiday, they were at home, revising and fulfilling some old habits.

Scattered around their living room was the regular everyday furniture and electrical appliances. Because it was a large, rectangular room, it was easier to describe the layout and allowed the gang to move around freely and comfortably without having to scan through so many corners to try and find what they were looking for. On a more positive side, the living room wasn't at all that messy and didn't hold much of the gang's personal gear as their rooms held storage for those sorts of things. It was here that allowed the gang to fulfill some needed hobbies while in the company of their friends.

The list of furniture round the room was simple. The floor was boarded and varnished thoroughly and the walls and ceiling were painted a basic white with two windows on the far side of the wall as well as a sliding glass door that allowed them passage onto the balcony. Blue curtains of similar hues hung from the railings bars above the windows so to block out unnecessary light and perhaps some wandering eyes that weren't called for in any way.

Apart from the elaborate design of the room there was also a carpet rug laid across the floor boards for decoration with a plasma screen TV screen set up in the corner of the room and two couches set up in front of it, their backs facing the balcony door and windows. To add to the common furniture, there was also a coffee table in front of the double couch, a grandfather clock against the wall to the couch's left, a small library book shelf on the opposite side and lamp shade and a couple of potted palms to add a little bit more of an exotic touch to the atmosphere and image of the room.

Then there were the items of person belonging to each member of the gang. For starters there was Bentley's section of the room. It was stationed to the left of the TV screens facing perspective. From the direction the screen was facing, Bentley's area was on the far left corner of the room close to the windows and balcony. It was completely chocker blocked with equipment ranging from a engineer's desk, to a rack of garage tools and piled up with stacks of futuristic inventions, weaponry and electronics. At the moment, Bentley was at his desk sitting in the office chair he had built himself and welding under the light of a office lamp on his latest invention: a grenade looking device that had a highly explosive charge. But because it wasn't filled with the ingredients mixed to create the explosive force, the gang had no need to worry and had no reason to disrupt Bentley from his work.

Turning to Murray's area of the room which was in between both Sly and Bentley's sections, you could see a small gym set up for Murray himself. It was stacked with dumbbells, seats built for all types of muscle development, a rack of bars with different weights, a bench-press platform and an exercise rug. Murray was currently working on bench-pressing and just like Bentley, had no reason to be interrupted. His grunts echoed through the room from the effort he placed into his workout session just as the light from Bentley's welding that lit up his end of the apartment.

While all of the other gang members were hard at work Sly, who had no means to workout at the time or study because he was a little tired from their monthly ordeal, was sitting in his own part of the room at his desk. It was just a basic desk with a lamp and a few scattered newspapers and documents lying on it as well as the original 'souvenirs' he had pinched here and there. Those items included the famous Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait of the _Mona Lisa_ that had been previously stolen by Sir Raleigh. Sly, during his heist to get the Thievius Raccoonus back had coincidentally claimed it as his own, as had countless of others before him (a fake portrait had been hung in place of the original thanks to the Cooper gang's intervention).

Another category of items included the crown jewels belonging to the Queen of England of 1865. The previous 'owners' of these valuable treasures were one of the local gangs in London who were under the influence of the infamous gun slinger and renowned cowboy of the Far East, General Von Sturmgiest, a WWII SS German army veteran with a notorious reputation for art dealings. He managed to get the crown jewels and bust the tyrant in the process, as well as his whole gang. Last but not least was the Dune diamond, a ruby red diamond encrusted necklace that belonged to King Horus I. It had managed to fall into the hands of King Cob Us' Cobra but after a hard brawl, Sly managed to steal it and hang it on his lamp for safe keeping. All in all, it was a rather sweet collection of priceless treasures.

Sly was already doing his own work. Under the light of his own lamp, he was busy skimming through the Thievius Raccoonus, honing in on his thieving knowledge and rehearsing his skills and techniques he had far beyond accomplished in the past many, many times. His hat had been discarded as well as his leg pouch and cane which were all hanging on a coat rack seated beside him so he could gain full relaxation for the time being. There was no greater joy in life aside from being on a heist, was for him then looking up on his history, as well as his heritage. It was a great honor as well as a great privilege to learn about his other family members. All of them had been great thieves in their time and because of their skills they had mastered, they were handed down generation after generation through this great book. Every Cooper had their own story to tell, though very little was told of Clockwerk, seeing as that most of the pages failed to describe the mechanical owl. Perhaps the curse on the family was a bit too much to swallow and most of the ancestors decided to keep the curse of Clockwerk a myth. Sly hardly believed a giant bird like Clockwerk could be that terrifying, but after his previous encounters with the crazy genius, he wasn't going to start stretching his ancestor's judgment now.

Flipping through page after page of remarkable and incredible history, Sly suddenly stopped when he came across an interesting subject in his book. On page 127, Section 5, Category 7, written in the form of an old pen was a paragraph on Sly Cooper's ancestor William 'Sharp-Shot', his war going ancestor. Aside from the black and white photograph of the Cooper on one of his most accomplished heists where he and his men were raiding a German castle, Sly discovered something that would, not only be intriguing for him, but for Bentley and Murray too.

Upon glimpsing the diary entry Sly began to read over it thoroughly, making sure to get every bit of information he could. His eyes grew wider with every word he drew in that formed the sentences.

"_December 18th, 1944. It has been two long days of trudging through God forsaken swamps, endless masses of pine and crossing heavily guarded bridges. Like I always said to myself, 'war is hell', and by this time, that claim had gained a lot of new meanings. Unfortunately for us, the Germans had press ganged the allied forces into a neck breaking assault that would more then likely change the course of the war and into the favor of the Axis powers. Because of this, our supply lines have been cut, and the Germans were now looting castles, mansions and fortresses left and right. They have flushed out all resistance and with their new weapons, are taking all possible means of advantage. Though it had been several hours ago, me and the boys were fortunately able to take out a German outpost on an abandoned farm some several clicks away from Bastogne. It was here where my men and I found something interesting. Inside a bunker buried deep underground was a entire stash of hidden loot of gold, arts, jewelry and treasure ranging from Chinese artifacts all the way to Spain. Years of stolen treasure belonging to the Germans was buried here and, being the thieves we were, decided to claim a small percentage for ourselves. Holding our line for two more months till the Battle of Bulge had ended, we left as rich men, leaving the rest of the art and treasures to be claimed by ages of time and to the European owners. About 75 percent of the loot was left behind, seeing as we didn't want to cause suspicion on our getaway. This was the biggest accomplishment yet by the men of the French Cooper legion."_

Sly had his attention drawn to the _75 percentage_ written in the letter entry and rubbed his chin in though. A mischievous smile spread across his lips as well as the tell tale signs of a sparkle of thievery glinting brightly in his eyes. His eyes cast upwards in his day dreaming as thoughts of claiming the rest of this vast fortune filled his mind, depending whether it was still around or not he wasn't sure. So, trying out his luck he tried to seek out the location of the loot in the Thievius Raccoonus or any signs leading to the farm yard. But to his disappointment, he couldn't find any other entry of the location to the bunker except for some lousy grid maps and codes that had expired several years ago.

After an unsuccessful search, Sly collected up one of the newspapers lying beside him and began reading the first article that caught his eye. Unfortunately, it was just the advertisement for a newly made shoe by the Style Right shoe company of Bloomington Illinois. The joys of boredom made Sly sigh in displeasure as the thief looked up into the ceiling. Lying back in his chair, his unconscious mind went along with his spirits.

"_It's just not the same without Carmelita chasing me…"_ he thought, remembering the times he had been chased by that ever wonderful and dreamy cop woman. Whenever he thought about her, it always made his spirits soar. There was no telling what that vixen was doing right now…

* * *

_**On the other side of Paris**_

_**Inside the network of Interpol's police station structure…**_

Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox was sitting in her office at her desk and was, at this moment, hard at work. Looking through the various documents, files and folders piled up on her desk, Inspector Fox attempted to complete her paper work and perhaps, if she got it all done, return to the Cooper case. Her eyes burned holes into the sheets of paper she held in her hand as she skimmed through every page before signing it to accept the next chain of documents or to just order in another five cartridges of ammunition for her shock pistol. There were other documents too. They ether contained information on a certain criminal, a certain group, a historic individual etc. It was these primary documents that were piled up on Carmelita's desk aside from the paper work she needed to hand in on some past or recent missions/assignments.

It was 11:00 PM in the afternoon and the entire station could be described in one word: deserted. It was night out, the pitch black yet starry sky hanging like a curtain high above the city accompanied by the reflection of the sun's rays through the use of the moon that shone brightly like a jewel. Paris, the city of lights was on in its full and formal glory, the Eiffel tower shining in the distance as the lights along its metal frame made up its shape through the cold, dark air. If the lights along the citadel were to be switched off, then the heart and soul of Paris would just vanish along with it. It was the Eiffel tower that made the city for what it was.

Carmelita however didn't take that into account though as she was too caught up and busy at work. Her office was on the top floor of the station. Because she was the Chief Inspector of the entire Interpol forces in all of France, she was entitled to 25 of the law enforcements in the world, giving her an enviable position in the upper class of Interpol's ranks. It would be a pity though if this promotional state were to be taken away from her in the form of a dishonorable discharge but fortunately willingly, she was not about to let that happen.

The only light source in her office came in the form of a office lamp sitting on her desk, lighting up the sheets of work she was looking through. The document she was reading was more interesting then what she really should be working on. It was a file on Sly Cooper and his history. Fortunately for Interpol, the last time Sly broke in to collect this file to find out the identities of the Fiendish five members who murdered his family, Carmelita had kept a second file in her home and had brought it along with her so she could look over it while she worked. She found it interesting to look up on Sly's past and admire his statistics, as well as his most recent photo. But then again, she could look to this file to find out a way of anticipating his moves and finally catch him. The only problem was, this file was four years old and ever since then, Sly had become more fluent in his heists and tracking him became an impossible task.

While she was reading the file silently to herself, she because aware of the time and looked to her wrist watch to see that it was late. When the hands showed that it was 11:06, her heart sank as this meant she would be here for a couple more hours before she could go home and allow someone else to take her daily shift. It had been months since her last break. This round the clock work was driving her into insanity. Who wouldn't if they were forced to chase an international thief across the globe? But then again, it was those moments Carmelita enjoyed in her work. Chasing Sly had become a hobby to her, a hobby she loved and enjoyed. But ever since the Clockwerk incident, she had rarely heard of him for the year to come until he started appearing in all sorts of places from Germany to South Australia. All theses sightings were drawn at random on the map and Carmelita had no idea where to look next; it was so tough keeping up. No wonder he was a master thief, he was so good.

However, because of the relatively slow field work assignments but the even slower time in the office was starting to take its toll on Carmelita's abilities, skills and strengths. Because of all the paper work her superiors kept shoving into her face and dropping on her desk, she was losing her touch. She had found out that from her last visit to the firing range which was several weeks ago, her aim was off by several millimeters, not a good sign on her account and her tracking instincts had sunk even lower. It was these skills that she was once mostly famous for that was making her too slack off and unfit for field work anymore. But that wasn't what the other officers were saying. She still stood above those other Interpol cops, agents and guards below her as well as above her but from what she could see in her, she felt that she definitely hadn't gotten out often and was relatively unfit. That's why she said to herself last night, that she would hit the running course and gym… as soon as she got her paperwork done that she found to her displeasure that it would take at least months for her to finish.

Sighing in disgust after glancing at the huge pile of paper in the inn box, she turned to the photos of Sly Cooper hanging on her wall in front of her and smiled happily, straddling her head in her hand by resting her cheek on her palm. Her eyes became half-idled and her pen soon lay useless on her desk as she started day dreaming about the handsome raccoon. On her desk there was a glass vase, and floating in the water and out of the spout formation of the vase was not only the rare blue rose Sly had given in Russia after the kiss he had given her but there were also three other red roses he had left her from time to time at three previous crime scenes. Something Carmelita loved to accept from that ring-tailed wonder.

Frowning, Carmelita averted her eyes to the side and tapped her fingers in boredom along her desk, her expression becoming tired and uncaring. She ignored her paperwork and tried to push everything else out of her mind. But wherever she looked, all she saw were desks, closed windows and a hell of a lot of filing cabinets.

"_It's just not the same without having Cooper to chase… let alone chasing him after fighting a well known villain. I just wish Clockwerk was back and that I was fighting along side Sly once again…"_

She spoke too soon…

* * *

_**Krack-Karov Volcano – Russia**_

High above ground level at the summit of the great volcano that had been the fortress to Clockwerk's power a strange military movement was currently underway as the thousand feet tall volcano had transformed into an excavation site that went unknown to the public eye or the law enforcements. Fumes, smoke, dust, ash and hot air no longer clouded the summit of the volcano as after years of open air, man made interferences and uneven temperature, the lava had cooled and solidified, the giant plug now blocking the shaft to the deep underground. It was this strange phenomenon that presented an excellent opportunity for a dangerous and well influenced military cult society to move in and excavate the remains of the once undisturbed and cursed graveyard.

However, this criminal organizations was unlike any other and had certainly haven't been heard of for more then 60 years. Upon reaching the summit and taking a birds eye view of the once lava filled pit, you could see the full extent of this society's work as well as the true power they possessed. It was their grip on this fortress that made it so impregnable.

Deep within the cliffs of the volcano's shaft on the solid, ash filled ground, vehicles, tents, guard towers, energy pillars, air force buildings, garages and all sorts of military alike equipment dotted the entire grounds as the sounds of machinery and loud shouts echoed all round. Moving through the crowds of people, you could easily see that these people were no ordinary people. A full 75 percent of these people were guard dogs of European breeds, mostly consisting of German shepherds and horrifically enough, they were all dressed in the fully recognizable grey and black uniform of the German soldiers that had served under Hitler's SS army. To justify this claim, hanging along the various buildings and cliffs were large banners and flags with the original eagle and Nazi sign. However, one thing was different. Surrounding the white circle containing the Nazi jack booth was a pair of falcon talon edged claws.

All the German soldiers were dressed in the 60 year old army uniform but, not only were they armed with the original Kar98 bolt action rifles, MP 40 submachine gun pistols, MG 42 and 32 model heavy machine guns, Luger P38's, Mauser pistols and Gewehr sniper rifles, but were also armed with the updated Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine guns, Model 85 sniper rifles, Heckler and Koch G36 assault rifles and the popular Beretta 92F automatic pistols. Accompanying there firearm power were also 25 halftracks, 15 Kraut cars, 20 ammunition trucks and a full arsenal of 12 King Tiger tanks. From the looks of it, a battalion of the dictator's army had resurfaced and the threat of Nazi fascism was back.

Aside from the description of the military forces, the remaining 25 percent consisted of a bunch of prisoners dressed in worker uniforms and were hard at work digging in a large crater made in the ash filled soil. This force was made up of marsupials ranging from raccoons, to possums to prisoners of war such as Siberian tigers and cats. Surrounded by a platoon of German soldiers who were all heavily armed, the diggers were forced into hard labor and if they did not comply, would be shot on sight.

Drilling equipment and shovels were given to the workers for their job which was highly classified. And those who issued the top secret orders were watching from a platform along the very top of volcano round its summit. Guarded by a more heavily armed group of SS soldiers, the tyrants watched as their workers dug for the pieces they were looking for.

Standing in between two of his best guards, the white German shepherd who bore the rank of Colonel in the Waffen SS police, the special forces of the original SS, watched the progress of his men and the prisoners. Instead of wearing the grey and black German uniform seen all around, he instead wore a full on black attire with the every now and then grey and white linings that decorated his outfit to a high class look. Because it was an officers uniform, he also wore numerous badges and to finish the look, a red Nazi Swastika armband was strapped to his left arm. This was the image Hitler created back in his time, but unfortunately for the rest of the world, that time had long stretched into the present day.

Nodding silently at seeing how far they had dug, he turned towards the guard on his right when he heard him speak. "I see that we are getting very close to the prize Herr Colonel. It must be an honor being in charge of the entire forces taking part in this expedition", said the guard in a very German accent. This guard did not wear the suited army uniform worn by his other superiors and men below him but certainly made up for it in his authority over those below him. This figure was a rare, German anthropomorphic mountain wolf with white fur and a fairly muscular body. He wore a grey muscle shirt, darker grey, German army trousers, a belt with two pistol holsters on either side holding Mauser pistols with an ammo pack tied to the back of his belt, black combat boots and a dark grey SS officer's cap. He was not apart of the Gestapo but was certainly a member of the SS.

The German shepherd snorted and, with his hands firmly clasped behind him, turned back to the excavation site in front of him far below.

"Yes but it was an ironic coincidence that our plans to recruit the Clockverk on our Fuehrer's behalf were extinguished by the allies invasion into Holland in 1944. That time has past Herr Major Fang… but I am still keeping my grandfather's promise, the Clockverk must be unveiled before the Interpol discovers that we have taken over their unit stationed here in Russia", said the Major in a very German accent, turning his scarred face towards the stiffened tigress. "I promised the Fuehrer his prize. I gave him my vord, he vill accept nothing less!"

Suddenly, the voice of his third in command spoke up beside him in the form of a giant, very muscular anthropomorphic German Pinscher. "The Fuehrer holds a very special place in his heart Herr Colonel. You have an enviable position in the SS", said the giant, overshadowing officer. This breed of soldier's fur was brown in color and grown naturally short. His hulking frame made him look as fearsome and strong as Muggshot. He stood to twice the height of either of his superior's he was standing by and bore the rank of a lower rank of Major between Captain and Major. He wore a very dark grey uniform with the Nazi arm band on his left, upper arm. He wore both a tight jacket, trousers and a shirt under that. Though he had the SS symbol on his left and right collar, the collar colors symbolized his artillery insignia. Apart of the SS German heavy weapons group, he wore a steel, black helmet and was armed with a Bazooka, a belt of stick grenades and a MG 42. All of which were hanging from his outfit. He also had a black mustache, but his eyes were mostly hidden by the shadow of his helmet.

The German shepherd overheard his third in command clearly and growled as his fists tightened behind him, edging to grab the Eagle shaped handled knife tied to the front of his belt as well as the Luger pistol in the holster at his side. Because he wore an oversized, black trench coat that also sported the Nazi and SS rank and insignia, his firearm was out of sight, as well as the ten ammunition clips he wore on the belts of his tunic.

"Yes and it vould be a tragedy to have it cut short by a firing squad", growled the Colonel, making the far taller and larger soldier cringe in discomfort to the menacing tone in his voice. He shrugged suggestively and turned away.

"Even I envy your powers sir. Please Herr Colonel, I do not want to remind you of your duties. You were never this edgy before, not after Sly Cooper…" the dog began to say but was cut off from speech when the sounds of slicing and the appearance of a silver, sharp and shiny blade came out of nowhere and pressed itself along his neck line at a very dangerous angel and position. If it were any closer, it would have sliced open his throat.

"Do… not… say… that… name… to… me", hissed the German shepherd menacingly. Captain Scar-Sting gulped and closed his eyes, hoping that this blade did not end his life right then and there. He prayed that this Colonel was forgiving.

The Colonel, known as Herr Colonel Kennel scowled up at his frightened officer and pressed the flat part of the knife against his chin, tilting his head towards him so he could see the dog's tightly clenched eyes. "The SS have latitudes to do many things. Killing members of the German army regrettably is not vhat the Fuehrer vished to picture in his glorious Empire and I respect that", the Colonel firmly stated, his eyes glinting his hate. He withdrew his knife and pushed it back in its sheath before lowering his arms by his sides again and turning back to the work site in front of him, hearing the German soldiers shouting commands and orders to the workers. "Besides the rules and obligations I must oblige tovards the Fuehrer, I have a mission to fulfill and if it is not accomplished then you can kiss the remains of the great Nazi party good-bye!"

Captain Scar-Sting opened his eyes and rubbed his neck to see if anything was cut and was relieved to find that nothing was. Mustering up all the confidence he had he returned to his duties of remaining silent and standing guard. Major Fang had witnessed the little incident but figured it was just a minor argument and didn't do anything, nor did he react to the sharp movements of his commanding officer.

"I assure you Herr Colonel that the 'Eagles Talons SS Gestapo legion' is the finest of all the units that participated in WWII in the Fuehrer's army. You have my confirmation that this new generation of soldiers will not fail and we will rebuild Clockwerk with all the remaining metals of his previous frame we can find. You have my word Herr Colonel", said Major Fang confidently. Colonel Kennel smirked and nodded.

"I agree Herr Major. And vith this little piece…" said the Colonel, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looked to be a small, microchip with a golden eye, showed his senior officers his prize. The golden gleam caught their attentions as both Major Fang and Captain Scar-Sting stared at the small device he held firmly in his hand with both surprised and intrigued gazes. The Colonel smirked and pushed the chip back into his pocket, an evil glint in his eye. "Vith the Hate chip back up unit that vas stored in the rear of the ash remains of Clockverk's brain of the Clock-La model, ve vill be able to resurrect the mighty monster's original frame and body and fulfill his, ours and the Fuehrer's mission of conquering the vorld." The Colonel grinned evilly, his forward fangs flashing brightly. "And vith the newly resurrected Clockverk at our side, ve vill be unstoppable…"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 2

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 2

_**One Week Later…**_

"Hey Bentley", Sly said loudly as he walked over to his friend who was sitting at his desk for his fifth day in a row. The gang was still in their apartment relaxing even though it had been at least eight days of recreational use. It may seem they had been here for quite a while but unbeknown to the rest of the community, all three of them had managed to get out from time to time for a little shopping and exercise without being discovered. Maybe it was because Bentley had formulated some really good disguises for the other two including him and from the silence that prevailed at Interpol, it seemed the disguises did the trick as it didn't alert anybody's attention or suspicion. It had been a week with no bank jobs or heists undergone and Sly was suspecting they were on a permanent leave. That is unless Bentley could find another job for the gang to crack and get some more excitement out of their long lives.

Bentley, who was tinkering with one of his cameras looked up to see Sly walking towards him, the Thievius Raccoonus tucked under his arm with a red lacing book mark fitted in between a particular part of the book. Since Bentley was wearing a special hat that had all sorts of devices on it such as microscopic visors, magnifier lenses, small tools and other assortments of gear worn round the tight hat, it was hard for Sly to see Bentley's surprised expression which he thought was amusing, especially on heists when he was joking around, making his friend worry. If there was any man who worried too much, Bentley was that man.

Setting down his welder and screw driver on his desk, and after pushing the magnifier lenses out from his face, the disabled turtle crossed his arms and leaned back in his wheelchair, staring up at his friend in puzzlement. "What's up Sly? Can I help you with anything? It's been a while since you've actually came up to be with a question", replied Bentley casually. Sly smiled and, pulling the Thievius Raccoonus out from under his arm placed the book in front of Bentley and flipped the book open to the age he had marked with the red laced bookmark. This immediately caught Bentley's attention and the turtle looked down at the pages opened up in front of him.

Coincidentally, Sly had flipped open the Thievius Raccoonus to the same page where he had read the diary note of his ancestor William 'Sharp-Shot' Cooper. It was also here where some more questions popped up in mind which was mostly about the grid maps and coded numbers beneath the diary entry. It was these written secrets or clues that made Sly feel edgy as he sensed an even greater depth into this case. Like his ancestor's, he could smell a heist as well as gold that was to be had.

Pointing out the grid maps, Sly jabbed his finger on them. "Bentley, last night these… codes and small grids were brought to my attention when I spotted them underneath the diary entry of my war going ancestor and, frankly, from what I read on his profile, he used really complex location codes instead of graphing or describing the layouts of all of his heists or missions. What he had written in his diary, I have reason to believe that both the codes and this story he told are connected. Do you think you could decipher these?" asked Sly, pushing the book closer to his friend.

Bentley, curious as he was at Sly's proclamation picked the book up and started skimming through the diary entry and over all the grid works and codes inscribed underneath. He had to read the diary entry over a couple of times and each time he did, his eyes widened in anticipation. When he was done with that, he went on to the codes to decipher them. After a quick glance, he snorted and lowered the book back onto the table, pushing it back towards Sly. The raccoon took the book back with a puzzled and surprised glimmer in his eyes. The turtle smirked and crossed his arms.

"That stuff is child's play Sly, don't you know your geography. What you've got there are grid maps of Holland along the borders of Germany. And, from the looks of the codes underneath those maps, they are pointing out the precise location of the bunker your ancestor has been too. Obviously the other codes are the passwords to the vault itself, containing all of treasure the Germans have stolen in WWII. Looks like you've hit it big time Sly", said Bentley.

Sly smirked and nodded, putting the book under his arm again. From the look in his eyes now, he knew something good was going to happen. "So… what do you recommend", asked Sly. Bentley smiled and, turning his wheel chair around towards the cupboard behind him, the turtle opened the double doors outwards and, after a few minutes of digging through the articles of clothes and gear, closed the doors shortly afterwards and turned back round. In his hands he held a suitcase full of clothes and numerous devices as well as his folded up armor lying on top of it.

The turtle looked up at Sly and nodded towards him. "I say, pack your bags, we're going to Holland!" Sly grinned mischievously.

"I see where this is going. Alright, I'll tell Murray to load the new van up and get ready. It looks like the Cooper gang is back in business!"

* * *

_**Across Paris a few minutes later…**_

_**Interpol Police Station…**_

Carmelita was busily sitting at her desk, continuing on with her paper work that was now reduced to only a quarter of the original pile left. The vixen was figuring she would be getting this work done in no time and soon be able to go on a long vacation. But all thoughts of a holiday were completely washed away when she heard her office door slam open and her boss, Chief Inspector Barkley barge in, face red and looking quite pissed. Upon the short wolverine's dramatic entry, Carmelita let out a yell of surprise and fell backward on her chair, falling flat on her back on the floor. Because of this, she was throbbing with pain.

Groaning in discomfort, Carmelita opened her eyes and shook her head violently to clear the stars dancing around her and looked up to see what had caused all the racket. When she stared up at the ceiling, she met the face of a huffing Inspector Barkley whose second sudden appearance startled Carmelita greatly.

Quickly staggering back to her feet and cracking her back in the process to relieve it of the cramps from her fall, the vixen stood straight up at attention and saluted. "Y-Yes Chief", she stuttered stressfully as the wolverine stared daggers up at her, his eyes burning with what the lady Fox identified as rage.

"Don't you 'Yes Chief' me Inspector! I thought you were still working on the field on the Cooper case! But what do I find?! On my second inspection of Interpol I suddenly find you sitting at your desk looking through God-knows-what while other officers are out hard at work trying to fix up these dilemmas popping up", screamed Barkley loud enough to almost crack the window on the other side of the room. Carmelita gulped but didn't make any sudden movements as even the tiniest breath would fuel Barkley's anger and aggravation more. The last thing she wanted was suspension from duty.

"Sorry sir, I was just finishing off some paper work. I was hoping that I would be able to get it done before my next case", replied Carmelita, sweating nervously. She was hoping she was choosing the right words. Barkley would practically blow up at anything she suggested or said involving what he didn't consider 'hard work enough'! Perhaps it was her mentor's loud vocal cords and hot headedness she had learnt a great deal more in her training with him then the training itself. She was far firmer then the other cops at Interpol. It was no bloody wonder why they all hated Barkley.

The Chief meanwhile was slowly composing himself, but even though he was taking steady breaths and was biting down on his cigar, he was still fuming. Rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing in annoyance, the Chief looked back up at his former pupil and thumbed in the direction of her desk. "Listen Inspector, it's your fault in the first place that not doing your required paper work from the millions of other cases did it start piling up so much on your desk. If you actually took a break from field work once in a while then maybe you would have been able to balance your time out fairly. So tough luck!" he stated, making sure she got the full thrust of what he was explaining to her. Carmelita sighed in disappointment and nodded.

"Yes sir, my apologies sir", said Carmelita. Barkley's eye twitched as a sign of his annoyance. Though he didn't mind being called sir, he hated it when that word was used several times over. However, seeing as that he was the superior officer, he was accustomed to such things, even though it ticked him off for some of the time. Anyway, he had more pressing matters to discuss with the vixen and it wasn't over her slacking off on the field.

"Never mind that, I have some important news for you, which is why I came to see you personally as this is a top secret matter involving the united nations as well as national security. Listen up Inspector, I've just received word that there is an uncontrollable uprising in Berlin involving the armed forces and some unknown battalion of troops, as well as several other up rises in other major capitals in Europe. Those include Moscow, Belgium and the Netherlands", said Barkley, placing his hands behind him as he started pacing the room. Carmelita, though she stood at ease remained standing where she was, her head and eyes following the Chief all across the room. "All our contacts and units suddenly disappeared in those capitals and according to vital intelligence; I have also learned that a platoon of rebels are undergoing an unidentified digging in the Ardennes."

Carmelita raised an eyebrow. "But then these cases sir should be handled by the army not Interpol. We're enforcers of the law not soldiers, why can't they handle these before any more uprising occurs", said the vixen. Barkley nodded and took a puff on his cigar, blowing a smoke ring before gritting it between his teeth again and approached the Inspector.

"Because Miss Fox, these aren't your ordinary up rises or rebellions. These are the causes of the infamous 'Eagles Talons SS Gestapo legion', an old WWII battalion division working under the direct orders of their creator and leader Adolf Hitler. Although the dictator is long dead, against impossible odds however, the son of General Field Marshall (Reichsführer) Von Kennel, the Fuehrer's leading Special Forces army, Herr Colonel Kennel has recreated the elite division and is now taking drastic actions with these new forces. I can't verify how many men he has recruited but I am positive that the number ranges to that of the entire Luxemburg army. His plans are plain Inspector… world domination."

Carmelita furrowed her brow and crossed her arms, her eyes staring hard into Barkley's. "So you want me to hire a mercenary army to repel this threat?" asked the vixen in puzzlement, assuming she knew what the Chief had in mind. Barkley snorted.

"Yes of course Inspector but don't jump the gun too quickly. Firstly, we do not know what plans Colonel Kennel has and rushing into things would eventually lead to a world wide conflict. You could involve civilians as well as other nations and that Inspector, would be the first step leading to WWIII. You may hire the mercenary army if you wish, but be warned. I must also let you know that a moment ago, I received word that Sly Cooper and his gang have left for the Netherlands and apparently, they were in a big hurry to leave the country", said Barkley. This immediately hit Carmelita head on and she nearly fell over at the sudden news flash. Eyes widened in shock she stared at her Chief as if he were crazy.

"Cooper?!" Barkley nodded and gave her a smile.

"Word has it he's headed straight into the Ardennes and right into the rebel's location. Inspector, it is up to you now. You'll have full support from all of Interpol's riot troops, heavy troopers and officers… you have my word that the entire law enforcements will be supporting you. Do everything within your power to stop both Sly Cooper and the Gestapo Legion."

Carmelita, having recovered from her shock stood straight up again and saluted with an understanding nod. Her instincts of expertise on the field returned to her in a massive flood as did her determination to carry out her new assignment. "You can count on me sir!"

* * *

_**Sly's diary entry…**_

"_Finally, after a week of waiting, me and the boys finally got the desired heist we have been searching for. I had never felt so alive in my life. Having not seen action for this long it almost made me jump for joy at the excitement I felt the instant I heard about this new turn of events. I had enjoyed our little retreat pretty much and it gave me a lot of time to rest from our hard, long month of backbreaking heists before hand. But now that we were back on the map and on route for the Netherlands, I knew that I had to keep my eyes and ears up."_

"_The road trip gave me and the boys the time we needed to look up on our newest subject. Of course, it has already been established we have found the hidden bunker where my ancestor William 'Sharp-Shot" Cooper's treasure loot remained hidden. I had my doubts that the treasure was long gone but I knew that the road trip and investigation would do me and my friends some good. If it involved venturing into the unknown, then that was entertaining enough for me. I was certain that Carmelita had already gotten wind of the gang's departure and was already on our tail again, but that didn't matter now. What really mattered was the mission ahead of us."_

"_Looking up on the latest news, Bentley discovered something strange about the behavior of the nearby European capitals as well as the united nations network itself. After spotting this over the net, he said that this strange phenomenon over the air had been going on for the last two days and that something big had been happening. This however failed to concern us much since we weren't involved in it in the beginning while we were on a relaxing vacation. But soon, things started to get more complicated when we found out that we were eventually going to be involved in this situation soon enough."_

"_Looking up on the Interpol's top secret chain of files as well as the armed forces radio network, Bentley found out that a massive uprising was occurring in Russia, Netherlands (previously known as Holland), Belgium and Germany. Apparently, it was a major concern when I found out that the location we were zeroing in on was already occupied by a ruthless tyrant: a German army Major or Sturmbannführer known as Herr Major Fang. Son of SS Gestapo police leader Obergruppenführer or, in English, General Stuthand Fang, this strong, young soldier grew up under the care of his mother as his father had been executed for the crimes he committed while serving under the direct orders of Adolf Hitler. For years he had grown up on the stories past down to him by his mother about how great his father was and he later vowed that he would get his revenge on the Capitalists who robbed him of his loving father and idol. Ironically enough, he was pulled into the armed forces of the legendary and infamous 'Eagles Talons SS Gestapo legion' that was formally known as Hitler's fist back in WWII. The battalion that was thought to have been extinguished had been recreated and was now under the command of a new leader, Herr Colonel Kennel. Facts on him were amazingly limited but I figured along the way we would pick up information from here and there. One thing was for certain though it was here where Herr Fang got his lucky break as he rose through the ranks with exceptional credit and high distinction, both in combat, weaponry and field work and was promoted 6 times in two years, an incredible feat indeed."_

"_What this Major Fang is doing at our targets location was beyond me, but I had good reason to believe that he was after my family's treasure. My ancestor stopped the Nazi's from stealing the nation's gold and art but now they're back. I'm not going to allow it to fall into the hands of this new generation of Nazi tyrants. I knew that if these Nazi's got their hands on it, then they could profit from it and use it to recreate their shattered Empire and bring about WWIII. But one question remains a mystery. How did an entire battalion of soldiers leave the war, still armed and dangerous without ever being found and emerged once more?"_

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**Up in Clockwerk's fortress**_

_**Krack-Karov Volcano: Russia**_

The gentle tone and heavenly sounds of a piano echoed through the entire command bridge of Clockwerk's fort. The heavily fortified bunker had been modified to suite the ancient German army's purposes and, seizing this opportunity, Herr Colonel Kessler used it to form his own office and station. Built over looking the vast expanses of the summit of the volcano where the excavation site was currently underway, the Colonel took up some recreational time and played his favorite song over the piano. The slow, gentle chimes of the keys soothed him greatly and calmed his usually angered emotions and thoughts.

The room he had established himself and his command in was a stone made, fortified platform that stood at the cliff above the dried lava pits where he presumed the original remains of Clockwerk's frame remained. After hearing the new Clock-La perish over Paris many months ago, he knew for certain that the primary parts of Clockwerk were extinguished. But after learning that 50 of the original frame, including the shattered central body parts, skull, feet and joints were still buried deep in the dried lava. It was now his mission to recover them, use the various fortress made metal surrounding him to build newer, stronger parts then restencil the monster. If he could do that, then Clockwerk will live anew.

The rest of the bunker he was in was a simple design. Steps leading up to the exit stood on the longest length of the room while on the opposite side to that was the length of windows looking out onto the digging site. In the centre of the stone, cement structure was a long table that had battle maps laid across it and a large map of Europe. The positions of red pieces and flags symbolized where his forces were stationed. Apart from the table, his piano was seated on the right side from where the exit was on one of the width ends of the bunker and on the other side on the second width area were his office desk and the statue of the great Fuehrer himself. The bunker was rectangular in shape and added a lot to his high rank and power.

As he tapped lightly at the keys with his black gloved hands that hid his sharp claws, the white German shepherd hummed silently to himself and closed his eyes to relax himself even more. He had played the song so many times that he could remember the lines exactly. His black officer's cap was hung on the coat hanger next to his desk as well as his cane and his oversized coat that covered him, offered him warmth and hid his knife and pistol. Speaking of which, his knife and pistol remained seethed and holstered on his belt. And now that he was no longer covered by his coat, you could see his full rank and appearance.

Aside from the WWII Waffen-SS Gestapo tunic and combat boots, cap and belt, he also had several other attributes added to his outfit. His white shining rank was sewed to his collar and shoulders. The collar ranks to the form of two leaves with a single, diamond sewed over it, meaning he bore the rank of Oberführer and because of the white stripe running round his red Swastika arm band, it made him a Senior Colonel of the army. If another stripe were to be added, he would bear the rank of General. But all accounts, he earned this rank under the commands of his father who passed the role of leadership on to him after his training was complete, as well as the medals of his grandfather. Beneath his jacket, tunic front pocket, he wore patches from well deserved awards and underneath that, he wore a Swords Iron cross medal, an Eagles claw medal, a Imperial WWI Distinguished cross medal and finally a Honorary Distinguished cross. Tied around his neck beneath his collar he also wore his own Iron Cross worn by his father.

Besides the numerous pockets, awards, rank insignia and army category, he also wore a belt that cross over his shoulders, across his chest and ended at his hip in a diagonal angel. It was this that he used to hold his cane. It was easy to tell he was really well built under his uniform as well as deadly. His statistics now were incredibly high for a soldier. For now, he was twice as strong and faster then Muggshot but lacked the natural endurance, was the same height as Rajan but much more muscular, is Germany's greatest swordsman and a accomplished fighter, is trained in 85 different fire arms and weapons and can copy his opponents attack and agility moves, giving him the advantage in a fight. From these statistics, you could easily see he was a powerful enemy and fighter that could give even Clockwerk a run for his money.

As he played soothingly over his piano, he sensed the approach of one of his senior officers and sighed in displeasure. The heavy thuds of footprints and chiming of metal sounded as this figure approached him from behind and stopped at the foot of the table behind the Colonel. The soldier or whoever he was laid a glass of wine on the table and stood to attention. At this, Herr Kennel's piano playing slowed before coming to a full on stop.

"Vhat is to report", he asked deeply and menacingly. The soldier standing at attention behind him did not waver or shake to the Colonel's threatening tone of voice and stood bravely, as if he knew the man as a friend. Of course, he was a good friend but the Colonel acted like everyone hated him and was a real pain. Either way, he could freely act as he wanted since nobody had any power to stop him.

"Major Fang is confident he will drive Interpol and the armed forces of the Netherlands back, Herr Colonel", said the officer. Herr Kennel snorted and stood up, turning around to see who it was making this report. He smirked in satisfaction when he saw that it was his right hand man, head second in command, Special Forces and air force commander Standartenführer or Senior Major Herr Von Talon. The Major was the same species of anthropomorphic eagle that was one of the symbols of the swastika and Nazi Germany emblems but stood about two feet taller then Colonel Kennel and looked all the more fearsome. Instead of a uniform, he wore something vaguely similar; two leather belts strapped in a cross across his chest with a giant chest shield weaved on. He also wore a belt that held an auxiliary tool kit and a pistol just in a case of emergency. To finish it, he wore a cape and a German, WWI helmet on his head with the recognizable spike. His eyes were covered by the shadow of his helmet so they weren't visible at the time. In fact, they weren't visible at all.

Walking forward, Herr Colonel Kennel collected the glass of wine set out onto the table by his NCO and walked round the table so that he was walking down his length. However, before he left his second in command's side, he turned toward him and flashed a very evil smirk. "The Major's confidence is admirable… given little in his place", said the Gestapo leader before continuing his stroll down the table's length till he stopped at the foot on the other side. Major Von Talon followed his commander with his eyes before turning round when the Colonel walked out of view and approached slowly, his arms… err… wings held firmly at his sides and retained a firm and attention like posture to show his authority as well as loyalty towards his superior.

Colonel Kennel sighed and immediately drank the whole glass he held in his hand in one go, gulping it down like a glass of water. When the glass had emptied, the Colonel placed the glass on the table gently, though it seemed like he slammed it. Good thing it didn't break though. Letting out an irritated breath of air, the Colonel looked over the large scaled map of Europe. His stare crossed the numerous mountains dividing him from the Netherlands as well as from Germany and Belgium. If he ever felt nervousness, you would be able to see sweat on his face but now, he was more aggravated then nervous. Annoyed perhaps you could say.

"It is a huge mess Herr Major. The allied armies are regrouping on the borders of France and along the coasts of Belgium! If they make a move inland and up North with these forces ve vill lose everything! Major Fang had better not fail me on this one. If he can transport the hidden loot from the Ardennes back to Berlin then there is a possibility that ve can repel this assault and, given the time that ve have, reinforce our defenses and rebuild Clockverk", said the Colonel, tracing over the map with his finger. Von Talon nodded.

"I see your plan Herr Colonel. But I am not surprised. These large movements of your forces across the globe to try and take over the Government capitals aren't going unnoticed. My air force isn't strong enough yet to repel the assault if the allies enter Germany! If you can find any other means of support then surely it will be enough Colonel!" said Von Talon almost desperately. The German shepherd's head shot up towards him, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"I already am avare of your situation Major do not repeat it to me, I'm not stupid. Ve move this operation on a tight schedule and if ve are even off the time by a minute then our entire operation fails! Be patient Major, you vill have my fullest support soon enough. Until Clockverk is resurrected he vill provide you the firepower you need", said the Colonel. Looking back down towards the map from the nervous looking Major he continued to scan the layout. "Besides, vithout the artvork, ve von't have the money ve need to create the weapons and artillery that vould give us the edge in our future assault. I have been planning this for twenty years and I refuse to drop the issue now!"

Slamming his fists on the table the Colonel stood straight up again from leaning against it and walked over to his desk. Making his way around it he looked through the small piles of paperwork along the surface of his work place before collecting a single document incased in a filer. After reading the document over quickly, the Colonel walked back towards his NCO, stopping in front of him and handing him the file. Von Talon took it and stood to attention again. Kennel stared daggers into his NCOs' eyes.

"Make the necessary arrangements for the transportation of the merchandise! It must be in Berlin before the allies take Holland. Do not fail me!" stated the Colonel firmly, giving his right hand man a look that said 'death will come on swift wings for you if you screw this up'.

Von Talon nodded and, after giving the salute, walked out of the Colonel's sight and out the door, on route to deliver the message via radio to Major Fang. Hearing the steel door slam shut, the Colonel sighed and looked back down towards the table, turning so his body faced in its direction.

Placing both hands against the side of the table he leaned against it and stared at the map of the Holland, a red circle drawn around the area where the stolen loot and treasures from WWII were hidden. It was this very same place where his Grandfather was guarding with his division of troops back 60 years ago when the French Cooper legion attacked. The stories passed on to him by his father made him ball his fists in anger and give him the persuasion to kill anyone near him at the mention of the name, Cooper.

"_Soon Sly Cooper, I will have my revenge. You shall pay dearly for your grandfather's insolence. As soon as Clockwerk has arisen, with him by my side I will hunt you down and personally kill you!"_

Smirking evilly and, faster then the eye could see, the Colonel drew his knife stabbed it in the heart of Europe, cracks forming where his knife had landed and splitting the lines between the countries left and right.

"_The fascism plague upon our kind shall stand strong again… the age of the Fuehrer has dawned upon us and soon to become a new… era…"_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Chapter 3

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 3

_**Holland, formally known as Netherlands…**_

_**Ardennes- 8:25am**_

_**Precise location: Unknown**_

Surrounding a rundown looking farm that was built beside a slowly flowing river was the deep and treacherous Ardennes forests growing on the Eastern side of Belgium as well as a small, unexplored region in the Southern area of the Netherlands. The present location the barn was stationed was on in the Netherlands yes, but close to the borders of Germany and Belgium themselves. All points and coordinates leading to this place were removed from record and is known by only a few figureheads. Those included the residents of the rebellious 'Eagles Talons SS Gestapo legion', Interpol and of course, the internationally renowned master thieves of the Cooper gang.

The layout of the entire farm was off basic and suited the designs of that of a structure from the 1930's. It was previously owned by a small family living peacefully and trying to make a living but was taken from them when the Germans invaded France and Belgium in the 1940's. Claiming this property as their own, the German Waffen-SS units sealed off this entire area, eliminated from historic documents and maps as well as falsifying location. It took a lot of doing, but soon enough, this place disappeared completely, until now.

The entire area around the farm was made up of evergreen forest trees, pine… all sorts of trees reaching to a height of 300 meters, completely blocking out all aerial visibility and birds eye view of the barn. It was also because of this that the place didn't show up on the map, but that didn't mean tons of sunlight was blocked out. There was plenty of space in the air above and around the barn, including the river and crop fields that only had an area of 500 meters.

The riverside part of the farm was made up of various crucial elements to farmers who lived a fair distance away from town. Those included a small dock for boats to dock here and drop of supplies or used for departure, a windmill powered by the flow of the water that was used as a factory for grinding grain as well as a storage area and a dry dock used to park boats in for repairs. Away from the river and more into the area of the farm there were a lot of other recognizable structures, buildings and houses. There was a barn of course, where cattle, animals and farming equipment was kept, a small cottage or house where the farmers would live, a storage pen for the chickens, a farm central where vehicles can move in and out and around the area and a water tower built beside the barn. Because no one has been here for a while the place looked like it could use some renovating and the cross could be tended to as well. Strangely, there was also a lot of old, discarded equipment and a tractor that had lost its color, charm and was rusting up a lot. To add to it, a lot of wood work, chopping blocks and piles of manure was lying around, not adding much to the sanitary of the farm.

All in all, it was easy to tell that it was a really well made system and set up but now it has become the grounds of a really important operation. Now filling the once empty docks were two transport ships and a sea plane, both types of transports colored grey and bearing the cross of the German army of WWII. To add to the litter, an entire squadron of vehicles was parked around the central area of the farm. There were two jeeps with heavy machine guns built on their tripods, three motorcycles with the side carriages also heavily armed, three supply trucks, two half tracks and a lone tank. And, if you guessed right, both the dock and the parking lot was crawling with guards and German SS units. All of them were keeping watch of the area. With a force as strong as this, then it would definitely pose trouble to whoever would want to break in here.

Watching from afar from a hill somewhere on the edge of the forests surrounding the farm but was still blocked out thickly by the trees, three very familiar thieves watched on as the Germans walked about, shouting orders or were mingling in groups and socializing. This was something done very rarely amongst strict army personnel but since they were bored it wasn't a sin to talk with some friends. It was what Sly would do with Bentley and Murray but at this time, talking and having fun wasn't on their objective lists. Seriousness and focus was required for this heist if they were to get out of this alive.

Looking through their binocucom's, Sly, Bentley and Murray watched closely, taking in the surrounding farm and drawing a mental map of the area in their heads so that if they were going on a full on assault on this base, then they could find their way around easily. However, the number of troops stationed out here along with several more inside the house, barn and the windmill's basement, they were looking at fairly tight odds. In other words, it didn't look good from their perspectives.

Sly scowled through his binocucom as he stared at a group of four soldiers talking with each other, each of them expressing their own views on their posts and assignments. Since Sly understood German, he could hear and translate every word they were saying. The binocucom allowed him to enhance the sound of people or objects from long distance so Sly had a far better advantage out on the filed while on a heist. At the time, it was needed as he was trying to find the leader out of all the groups and perhaps listen in on what he was planning.

Lowering his binocucom, Sly turned to Bentley and Murray beside him. Since Bentley was in a wheelchair, he didn't have to lie on the ground like Sly and Murray but was still positioned behind the tallest part of the log they were using as cover. Their van, having bought a new one and have decorated in the same way as the old van was camouflaged somewhere in the forest where no one but they could find it. For now, that van was their safe house and could return to it whenever they needed to formulate a plan. Or better yet, they could formulate it here from the observation position they had set up.

"Hey Bentley, did you find Major Fang yet", asked Sly curiously and in a whisper. Bentley lowered his binocucom and turned to Sly. He shook his head in disappointment.

"Sorry Sly, I can't find him. Perhaps he's in the barn or somewhere else. Either way, he has to be here. Who else could formulate a force this big and raid an entire farm yard and needs support from heavily armored vehicles?" said Bentley with a shrug. Sly nodded in understandment and turned back towards the field, lifting the binocucom back up to his eyes. He had really hoped he would be able to head off into battle instantly upon arrival, but as far as he was concerned, it was too risky. Rushing head long with guns blazing really wasn't his approach. He didn't want to start something that was beyond his power to finish. He had to bide his time. Patience was usually the strongest but hardest to learn attribute towards thieves.

Murray sighed and lowered his binocucom, muttering to himself. "With forces like these, it would be impossible to attack head on. Not even I can take on those guys, what with their blazing weapons and outnumbered 20 to one. They even have a tank", exclaimed the hippo. He was rather fascinated by the heavy weapon stationed close to the well of the barn, its driver and commander sitting on the edge of the hatch on the turret. From the looks of it, it was a Panzer IV model, and with the right leverage and explosive force, even the Cooper gang could thrash it easily. If it were a King Tiger, then it would be impossible to take this place without it going on a rampage.

Sly murmured to himself as he scanned the crowds of Germans. About a good 50 percent of them were anthropomorphic German shepherd's and the rest were either apes or other breeds of German dogs. All of these soldiers had their eyes covered by the shadow from the helmets they wore on top of their heads. All the officers wore the officer's caps but, if you count clothes, about 80 percent of the entire German forces wore the grey tunic uniforms. The rest of them, who were either the tank drivers or Gestapo SS-officers, wore black tunic with white lining and the red, swastika arm bands on their left sleeves. They were the one's mostly shouting the commands to the other soldiers but, because they weren't given additional orders, they just stood around and talked.

As they watched the soldiers intently, Bentley's voice cut into the silence that prevailed. "I'll have to agree with Murray's words, the German forces stationed out here are too great in numbers. The vehicle backup force, tank power and unpredictable sniping positions would make this an impossible direct assault. What we need here Sly is some sabotage", said Bentley. Sly nodded, still gazing through his binocucom.

"I agree with that Bentley but there is one problem, neither of us can get down there. There is no proper cover for me to use, no diminutive points I can use at high ranges or any possible way of getting past that forward guard. We'll need a distraction of some sort if I am to get past that defensive line", said Sly, noticing the stations the units had taken below, all of these guards brandishing MP 40 submachine guns and scanning the forest grounds ahead of them. He was also correct on the other assumption about using height to his advantage. The tree tops ended at the clearing surrounding the farm and because of the guards patrolling the tops of the buildings as well as the building grounds around them, his chances of getting through alive and without alerting the attention of the tank and the other guards were a million to one.

Bentley scratched his chin in though at Sly's proclamation and nodded in agreement to the situation at hand. "You're right Sly. Guess I accidentally missed out the possibility of over protectiveness and height disadvantage. A distraction would be a good idea at this point in time but we need something else as well. As you know already", said the turtle, pointing out the swath of troops marching in the spaces between the parked vehicles. "These army personnel are on strict orders to guard this area so they would only send a troop of about five or so men if an alert is risen in a particular area, but it won't lower the guard level down there anymore then it already is, what with various other soldiers and officers departing and returning every few seconds. This calls, for a disguise!"

Sly raised an eyebrow and turned toward Bentley, seeing him smirking evilly and scratching his chin in the direction of the farm. Sly knew from that look that there was something more to it then what he thought.

"Bentley, what makes me believe that I'm not going to like this", said Sly. Bentley, turning to his friend shrugged.

"What's worse then wearing a German army uniform Sly?" asked Bentley. Sly blinked a couple of times and shrugged.

"No idea, but I suppose that that is the worst it can get. There's absolutely no way I'm taking orders from those assholes while in disguise. I'm here to get my family's treasure vault and loot back. I won't let one piece of art get on those transports bound for Berlin", Sly firmly stated. Murray was too caught up in his observations of the base of operations to the Germans to notice anything when he finally saw what looked to be a white wolf dressed in Gestapo uniform and was walking out from the house, escorted by four guards. The instant he saw this through the binocucom while Sly and Bentley were bickering, he quickly reacted and alerted the pair of the officer's appearance.

Waving his hand up to catch Sly's attention, which it did, the hippo super hero pointed down in the direction of the barn. "Hey Sly, some hot shot looking guy dressed in formal wear has just exited the house, I think it's our guy", said Murray. Sly and Bentley at this immediately drew up their binocucom's and turned their attention back towards the farm yard. The instant they did so, they spotted the person Murray had pointed out and grinned in triumphant while following the officer across the compound.

"Yup, that's him alright. Great job Murray", said Sly. Murray shrugged and smiled, watching as the officer and his escort stopped so that the leading officer could speak with the tank driver on top of the turret.

"Heck, if it weren't for me then you probably would have missed him. The way you two are going on", said the hippo. Bentley and Sly had to agree with what Murray had to say and didn't bother to argue or protest. Instead, they concentrated on their new subject, the leader himself.

Bentley decided that it was best to rehearse on what was going on down their and checked out the armaments while explaining to Sly and Murray. "That down there under the watch of two SS guards is Herr Major Fang. Herr Colonel Kennel's second in command to the armed forces and head of the operation going on here in Holland. I'm guessing that he has already found the loot and is ordering his men to load it up onto those trucks and boats."

Sly scowled through his binocucom down at the big shot officer and mentally cursed to himself. _"If only I had acted quicker. I must find a way down there and get to the loot before he loads it all up and bounds it for Germany. It's going to be hard taking out both the air, sea and ground transports while keeping an eye on him. I have a feeling this is going to get tricky…"_

The three great thieves watched closely onwards as the Germans were rounded up into rows of ten. Sly was able to count the maximum number of troops now that they were formulated. This gave him a new insight of what he and his pals were up against. Right now, there were thirty men standing at attention before their commander. The four bodyguards standing by Major Fang counted as well as the major himself. Sly also knew for certain that the Panzer IV was driven by four tank drivers and that the tank support troops sitting upon it also counted making it eight in all. So far, Sly counted 43 in total. There were an average number of soldiers at the port as well, about twenty and if you counted the sniper positions, then that would make another ten. So fat, the strength of the German forces stationed out here narrowed itself down to a max 70. Though the number was inaccurate, it was an educated guess.

Through the binocucom, Sly heard the Major give out new orders to his soldier, pointing from here to the barn down the dirt road leading from this part of the farm and, from what Sly heard and read from his gestures, told his men to move the treasure and loot here, ready for transportation and departure. He finished giving out his orders several minutes later and upon dismissing his men, they all Heil Hitler saluted and went about their work. The engines to all vehicles present started up and the hustle and bustle of hard working individuals was aloft in the air. As Bentley and Murray watched the soldiers move about, Sly followed the Major down the dirt road, escorted by not only his body guard but also accompanied by seven other soldiers and two other officers. He suspected that wherever the fortune belonging to his ancestor William was, the Major would lead him to it. And from what Sly could see, the loot was buried underground in the barn.

* * *

_**Somewhere on the other side of the river**_

_**Under the cover of trees and camouflaged vehicles**_

Movement suddenly made itself known on the far banks of the unknown river that ran through this sector. The noise made by these strange movements weren't accounted by any of the German guards on duty or by the Cooper gang. That was a good thing on the part of the mass of soldiers making their way up to the farm yard from their outpost.

Because they were covered by tall trees, shrubs, bushes, long grass and fallen logs, the snipers and lookout weren't able to spot any of suspicious activities and remained silent. The guards looking through the binoculars were positioned on top of the windmill, on the far end of the dock, on top of the house and from the water tower. These guards were stationed North, South, East and West on all advantage points and were on full alert. Now that their major operation was underway for the first part towards their glorious victory, they had to stay sharp or suffer the consequences by firing squad or by hanging. Unfortunately, misfortune would be heading their way in the form of a orange, strong and beautiful Carmelita Montoya Fox.

Crouching behind the bushes yet still peeking through the spaces of the branches and leaves to get a good view on their target, Inspector Carmelita Fox watched from afar, accompanied by an entire infantry division of soldiers and riot troops of Interpol. Given special command of all the infantry units in Europe, including all foreign legions, she had enough power to start up a civil war on her own terms. But because she was acting under the direct orders of Chief Inspector Barkley, she had to keep herself and her men in check.

Speaking of which, the division of both soldiers and Interpol troops under her command were a mixed bunch but were easily distinguishable from each other. For starters, the French foreign legion was among those troops serving her. These soldiers were well disciplined and trained soldiers equipped with heavy armaments and trained in all elements. They mostly consisted of American, British, French, Indian, Chinese and Swiss soldiers and were all dressed in forest camouflage uniforms from dark green to light green and all of them wore the same backpack that held all their necessary field equipment. Those in the American category that mostly consisted of anthropomorphic wolves, apes, pigs and dogs of different breeds, wore green Fritz helmets, goggles and armed with the basic M16 assault rifles, M60 heavy machine guns or (for those in the demolitions category), bazooka's. The other country soldier category's sported different hats, helmets and weaponry but mostly the basic AK 47, MP 5 and Enfield 303 rifles. The French wore red berets, the Indian's wore fez hats, the Chinese wore ushanka woolly hats and the Swiss soldiers wore the Brodie helmets.

As for the Interpol division under Carmelita's command, they were a group of apes and gorillas, all of them wearing tick, blue trousers and long sleeved tops, bullet proof jackets and dark blue, M1 helmets. They also wore combat boots and gloves, wore various utility belts, were all armed with M60 heavy machine guns as well as a riot clubs, and wore red lens goggles. They stood separate from the armed forces and always stuck by Carmelita's side. Like the soldiers, they were all battle ready.

Looking through red and gold binoculars similar to Sly's binocucom, Carmelita checked out the layout of their soon to become battleground, taking in all the major and minor details. It was at this point she truly believed that a new fascism order had emerged and those rumors all across Europe given to her by her Chief were true. Up rises caused by these Nazi rebels were everywhere and seriously crippling their infrastructures, industries and military installations. Now it was up to her to stop them.

She was able to take in the armaments and armory of all personnel and vehicles present and, using a special high tech device built into her binocucom, was able to narrow herself down on all the snipers and personnel indoors or underground. Orange targeting sights appeared in the magnified lenses that marked a person's exact location. A number dialer at the top part of her scope showed the number 78, meaning there were two armored divisions of troops and all of them were all on guard, ready for even the slightest bit of disturbance.

Lowering her binoculars, Carmelita turned round and focused her attentions on both the army legion commander and the leading Sergeant of the Interpol riot forces. She nodded to each one of them as she addressed her orders.

"Captain, have your men ready to attack. Set up mortar positions on that ridge and ready the halftracks to swim across that river. We'll need armored support", ordered Carmelita to the French Captain of the Foreign Legion. The commander of those forces, who was a mountain wolf heard the order and, after saluting, headed for towards his assigned location to carry out the orders. Keeping low, the Captain headed towards the radio to send the newly made orders to their vehicles and artillery units standing by.

Carmelita then turned to the Interpol commander and nodded towards his men crouched all around them behind them. "Lieutenant, make sure that your men are ready as well, we can't always rely on the army. Remember, I also want prisoners", said the vixen. The Lieutenant nodded and pulled back the loading handle on his M60 heavy machine gun and lifted up to attack position.

"Yes ma'am", replied the ape commander.

Carmelita, after confirmation that both the Interpol forces and the Foreign legion army division were ready and in position for cover fire and a full on attack, as well as the troop carriers and half tracks standing by, ready to take the men across the shallow waters, the vixen stood ready. She would take the next opportune moment to attack. She was confident her forces would overcome these odds. Although the Germans had a arm strong of 78 men, she had a battalion of over 200 men. A major battle was about to ensure, and she was ready as she'll ever be.

* * *

_**Inside the barn**_

Having crossed the threshold towards the inner sanctum of the treasure vault buried deep underground, Major Fang strolled across the dirt and hay covered ground towards the other side of the barn, his eyes scanning left and right and up and down as he took in every detail this barn had to offer. There were several holes punched into the roof and sides of the barn and a couple of the windows weren't drawn over by the curtains so a lot of light escaped into the entire structure's interior. The doors to the barn swinging open fully startled a few roosted pigeons, all of them retreating through the holes in the roof and flying away so to not fall victim to any sudden attacks.

Escorted by his body guards and by his right hand man Lieutenant Schneider who was a German shepherd breed of dog and wore the same black uniform belonging to the Gestapo, the Major crossed the barn and stopped. To his left and right there were wooden supports, walls and levels that made up the barn, each level built holding stacks of hay, probably used for the animals who lived here. But it was not this structure of the barn that concerned him, it was the cement wall in front of him and the steel door blocking his path that made him stop in his tracks. Unlike most bunkers designed and created back in WWII, this wall completely made up the end wall used for the barn but was also concealed by the barn itself, making it look as if no bunker had been built here at all. From the looks of it, it was super reinforced, and the steel or iron made door was circular like any vault door but this one was different from the rest. It had a gold plated lock and making up the key for the lock was what looked to be a cane with a C shaped hook on the upper end of it.

The Major looked the vault door up and down, taking in its build and size. Raising his right hand, he ran a hand over the golden plating's of the door. The metals gleamed brightly in his eyes as if were brand new. But this thing had been standing here for years how can it be still sparkling with that endless coat and quality. Whatever the case, it was the only obstacle blocking the Germans from the treasure lying beneath them and so, needed to remove this door from their path.

Scratching the key with his gloved hand, the Major spun around and pointed at his right hand man. "Lieutenant, bring me all the explosives you can and have your men ready to carry out the loot when this door has been blasted open. Stay alert and if any intruders enter this camp, terminate them!" The Lieutenant nodded and, after saluting, turned on his heel and stormed out of the barn with his new orders. The body guards belonging to Major Fang kept watch, their rifles brandished in preparation for either an attack or to await further instructions.

Turning back to the vault in front of him, Major Fang glared up at the massive vault door in front of him. He was still puzzled by the inscriptions on it as well as the key that would need to be used to open this door. But that didn't worry him that much as this door would be gone shortly, once he'd blown it open.

"_The Colonel isn't interested in failure… I must have this door removed and the loot safely back in Germany before the sun sets. If I fail then this mission is a complete bust!" _

* * *

_**Along the edges of the woods**_

_**Close to the farm centre**_

The German military movements didn't go unnoticed by the Cooper gang who, in turn, saw this as a great advantage to this heist. Because of the roaring engines of the nearby trucks, especially the engine of the tank, it muffled up all other noises around them, allowing one, Sly Cooper to make his way down from the hill the Cooper gang had established themselves on and approach one of the stray German soldiers sitting down on a log that sat on the edge of the forest.

Slipping from tree after tree and hiding behind other obstacles that blocked off all view of the crafty raccoon, Sly slowly made his way over to the German with his back turned to him. Bentley and Murray watched closely from afar and watched Sly's progress. It was a risky move, but if Sly was to pull it off, then they would most likely succeed. If he could get into the barn and stop Major Fang from getting into the vault then he could stop the Germans from moving the loot. But the first objective was getting a disguise…

The German shepherd who was sitting on a log separate from the rest of his squad was smoking cigarette and watching closely at hand as the other troops moved around. Because there were other guards on duty at the time, this soldier thought that he could take some time out and rest. The big mistake he had made was actually straying too far from the rest of the pack, and with his machine gun in his lap and n safety, he had no chance of surviving the surprise attack from behind.

Sly, who had finally made it down to the oversized log the German shepherd was sitting on crouched low and, looking up, saw that the soldier hadn't noticed him. He was relieved none to say the least and now there was just the simple task of knocking him out, tying him up and confiscating his outfit.

Sensing the attention of the guards and soldiers turn away for a brief moment, Sly suddenly threw the hook of his cane and hooked it around the soldier's neck, giving a sharp pull so that the soldier fell backwards and behind the log, out of sight. Because of the shock of being pulled over and unable to shout out in surprise because of the hook round his neck, the German soldier didn't know what else to do when he was suddenly smacked in the face by a swift punch thrown by his mysterious attacker.

Smiling proudly, it only took Sly a brief moment to strip the guard of his uniform yet still leaving him in his undergarments, tie him up with the rope he had brought along with him and gag him. With no more use for the soldier, Sly left him where he lay.

With the German, grey and displeasing army uniform on, Sly straightened up and slapped the helmet over his head. The change of disguises of the previous German soldier and Sly were completely seamless in transaction, they were almost exactly the same when dressed in this uniform. The only thing different was Sly's ringed tail that stuck out behind him, but he didn't worry about that too much. Surely the other guards and soldiers wouldn't notice.

"_**Nice work Sly, now no one would be able to recognize you in that outfit",**_ exclaimed Bentley over the ear piece Sly had put into his ear so he could remain in contact with his friends. Sly smirked and straightened his collar and tightened his belt.

"Come on Bentley, I'm a natural at this. You people are always surprised…"

Slinging the machine gun over his shoulder, Sly stepped over the log and, using a very soldier like posture marched out into the central of the farm. Along the way, Bentley remained in complete contact with him, transmitting instructions towards the willing thief.

"_**Now that you're in that outfit Sly, you need to keep yourself on full alert and try to blend in. If any of the officers give you an order you do it otherwise you'll be shot on sight. These aren't your everyday soldiers Sly, they're SS, believe me when I say this, if you are discovered, they will do worse to you then any execution or jail cell would do"**_, said Bentley in a whisper, worry filling his voice. Sly sweat dropped at this but still kept a firm stride and posture.

"Great, now you tell me", hissed the ring-tailed raccoon, saluting to a couple of officers passing him but still moving. Bentley gulped and scratched the back of his head.

"_**S-Sorry pal, but I didn't think you would really be this enthusiastic of going in this way to get to your ancestor's vault",**_ replied Bentley. Sly gritted his teeth but returned to a blank face when he passed a couple more soldiers, weaving past three more who were carrying a large crate of demolitions. Since they were in a big hurry, Sly had to maneuver out of their path and followed them up the dirt ridden path.

"Never mind about it now Bentley, I'm here and dressed in a bloody fritz outfit and following them to the barn. I've gotten this far, and I'm not turning back now!"

Marching at a soldier's pace, Sly slipped through the crowds of Waffen-SS in the centre of the farm before proceeding up the path towards the barn where all the crates of demolition charges were headed as well as all the soldiers ordered to be around that area. Not only that, but that barn was where the treasure vault was. He balled his fists in anger at the thought of what these bastards would do with his treasure if they got it out of Holland.

The image of Sly dressed in a German army uniform did not go unnoticed or unrecognized by the familiar Inspector looking through her binoculars and onto the farm, watching the soldiers working tirelessly to accomplish the unknown mission. Even though she was with Interpol, Carmelita did not know why the German military was here but she knew one thing, if Sly was here, then there was definitely something valuable to be had.

Lowering her binoculars, Carmelita smirked as she watched the thief stroll down the dirt path on the other side of the river and enter the barn and disappear from sight. Her ears itched and her fingers twitched at the anticipation of another show down between her and that thief. Maybe, just maybe this time, she would succeed at finally capturing that thief once and for all. It might be tight, but she would find a way of getting to that raccoon no matter what the cost.

"You just wait ringtail. You'll be getting the biggest bust you'll ever experience…"

The thought of Sly joining the Germans never crossed her mind as she was for certain that the raccoon would never sink that low to get at something as valuable that it would draw an entire battalion of troops here. Besides, if it were a really big heist, Sly would definitely work alone at it or with his friends, Bentley and Murray. If they were around here too, Carmelita would make no hesitation to arrest them either.

Peeking round the door frame and into the inside of the barn, Sly got a good shock when he saw the full extent of the Nazi's work so far. On the other side of the barn from where he was standing, he could see crates of demolition charges set up around what looked to be a steel door on a cement made wall. And on that door was not just some ordinary lock and key or combination key, but his cane's outline. He clued on that it was his cane that could open that door, a simple trick used by his ancestors as no other thing would be able to open that vault. The thought of it made him smirk when he pictured the Germans blowing their charges to find that nothing had happened.

Stepping round the frame, Sly stood inside and beside the exit to the barn at attention, nose up and eyes ahead. All the while, he watched as the Germans piled up their charges and wired it up, getting ready to blow the place. This made Sly worry a bit. The bunker containing his family's treasure was underground and, if they set this thing up incorrectly, they could blow a hole through the floor and cave the place in completely. if so, then all the valuables, art and loot would be destroyed. But then he thought, they wouldn't let that happen as they were desperate enough to make this rushed yet decisive so to not screw up their objectives.

But, now that Sly was in position and watching his target move around and give orders on where to place the charges, he wasn't really sure how to get to the Major before he blew it. There were too many guards hanging around as well as soldiers and armaments that would completely destroy the entire area if any alert were to be sounded. But then again, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. _"The fog of war, what better time for a robbery."_ This seemed to aid his confidence and nurse his worry and because of it, he stood firmly in a new found energy and strength.

His heart sank however when he saw a random soldier rush into the farm and up to the Major, whispering something quiet. Because of all the chatter, shouting and engines roaring all around him, Sly couldn't hear what this soldier was saying to the officer and villain and was forced to watch with sweat dripping from his forehead. From the quickened pace of the soldier's entry and his heavy panting, Sly knew that this was not going to be good news, especially on his part.

Spinning around when the soldier had finished his report, Sly saw the Major throw his trench coat off, revealing the outfit he had been wearing underneath. A white muscle shirt, grey army trousers, combat boots, a utility belt and, to his dismay, two pistol holsters. Because he was still wearing a hat, it was easy to distinguish that he was still the superior officer and because he stood higher then the rest of the soldiers, it was easy to see him as the big boss. Trouble soon spilled for Sly when the Major drew from his holsters two Mauser C/12 machine gun pistols and loaded them, pointing towards the soldiers working on the demolition charges,

"GET THOSE CHARGES READY TO BLOW!" shouted the Major in plain, understandable English, startling the Germans from their work as the officer continuing shouting towards his men. "Everyone stay alert! One of our guards has been knocked out and his uniform has been stolen. Be on the lookout for an intruder and prepare for an attack!"

Sly growled and stepped forward, he was about to address his presence when suddenly, an explosion rang out and the ground shook beneath his feet. All the Germans soldiers in the area let out a yell of surprise and staggered around when the earthquake hit them. Sly had staggered back into place and hit the wall of the barn, shocked and bewildered. Looking about, he saw that none of the charges had gone off so, in turn, he looked outside the barn to see a cloud of smoke lifting off of the parked tank, fire issuing from its engine and its tracks shattered. Puzzled by this, the questions on Sly's mind soon disappeared when shots rang out and loud yells were heard coming from the banks of the river.

Since the door was so big, Sly was able to see the river and its other side clearly and, from a brief glance, he saw an entire platoon or squadron of troops emerge from the trees and bushes, guns blazing and targeted at the Germans. It came to a shock, but Sly found that it was Carmelita leading these forces when she suddenly emerged, followed by a group of heavily armed riot police.

At the sudden appearance of this army division, Major Fang turned towards the vault and pointed towards his men working at the charges. "Never mind that now, just get out there and return fire. We're under attack! Defend the barn", he shouted. Obeying their leader's orders, the Germans working at the vault left their posts and, drawing their rifles or machine guns ran out into the farm yard and towards the river, ready to meet this new assault.

While Sly was watching Major Fang stumble about in a desperate attempt to get the vault open himself, Bentley's voice suddenly spiked up in his ear. _**"SLY! SLY! Are you alright?"**_ came the turtle's distressed voice. Sly nodded while pressing his finger to his ear to reply.

"Yeah, I'm fine Bentley. Guess what, Carmelita is here, and she has brought friends", said Sly. Bentley was dumbfounded.

"_**CARMELITA! HERE?! You've got to get out of there Sly! NOW!"**_ shouted Bentley, both frightened and urgent. Sly, raising an eyebrow, looked up and around. He was inside the barn and to his surprise; he found that Major Fang was the only one left inside the barn. A feral smirk crossed Sly's lips and he turned back to his ear piece.

"No, not yet Bentley… Major Fang is on his own now. If I can take him out, then I might just get a shot at getting to some of my family's treasure before Carmelita and her forces enter the perimeter. What with her cunning instincts, she would have definitely brought a division of troops with her to handle these guys."

"_**That's crazy Sly, you'll never make it out of there!"**_ said the turtle. Sly smirked and looked up to see the Major connecting the last few wires of the demolition charges.

"Trust me, I'll be fine…"

* * *

Exactly after the surprise attack had been initiated, Carmelita and her troops spilled out along the banks of the shallow river in front of them, emerging out of their cover and, sticking to their orders, took up defensive positions and started firing down upon the Germans on the other end of the river. Carmelita, who was leading her troops, was at the front of her forces, her shock pistol blazing away and raining electric plasma bolts down onto her targets, joining the bullets of rifle and machine gun fire.

With her superb fighting techniques, weapons training and leadership skills, Carmelita expertly commanded her forces onto the battle. The American's, being the heroic soldiers they were as well as a great symbol of the perfect army, moved forward first, followed by their back up support and altogether, bombarded the farm with machine gun fire. Carmelita however was first in front of them and continued ordering the assault while gaining the advantage point in the field.

"Cover fire, into the buildings and trees! Take them all out!" shouted Carmelita, gripping her shock pistol in both hands and letting off a barrage of five powerful shots. Those shots collided with the chests of a couple of Germans, sending the flying back.

The artillery and mortar fire Carmelita had ordered had taken out the tank that was stationed in the middle of the farm, leaving her free to safely take out all the soldiers she could. The Germans however, reacted quickly to the surprise attacks and started taking up positions along the banks of their side of the river. Though many of them were being gunned down by the superior firepower of the allied forces, their determination and will pushed them to their limits and quickly, after taking all the cover they could, started firing back. Bullets and rocket fire flew across the river as both sides exchanged lethal shots and punishing blasts.

On the docks of the farm, a couple of Germans had set up a heavy machine gun and were right now peppering the other side of the river with machine gun fire. Unfortunately for them, the sea plane and the troop carriers had gotten caught up in the cross fire, and in the chaos, mortar shells struck their surfaces and hulls, disintegrating them or sending them to the bottom of the river. To support them, the Germans drove their half tracks up to the banks of the river and, using them as armored supports for cover, started returning fire with heavy machine guns, rifle fire and submachine gun rounds.

Barrages of bullets rained down on both the farm and the forest. From the looks of it, the Cooper gang had walked into a full scale war.

Ignoring the shockwaves of artillery rounds exploding and the 'tat-tat-tat' of machine gun fire, the Major continued working feverishly at the charges placed against the vault, desperately trying to wire it then blow it open. He bit his tongue as he did so as the slightest mistake would indeed blow him to smithereens. This mission didn't just mean his career, but also his life. If he was to fail, he would be executed by his superior officer.

He was soon to find that luck just wasn't on his side today when he felt a unfamiliar presence behind him and heard a voice call out, one that made him look up in surprise. "Hello Herr Major Fang!"

Spinning round while still crouched, the Major's eyes set upon one of his soldiers standing behind him standing several meters, the muzzle of an MP 40 sub-machine gun pointed towards him. His Mauser pistols were on the floor on either side of him and because of his position; he was defenseless and unable to react. He was, of course, surprised that one of his soldiers would be going against him in almost mutiny like fashion. However, when the Major looked up into the eyes of this soldier, he found that it wasn't one of his men but a very familiar looking raccoon.

Recovering from his stupor, the major stood up, picking his pistols up so that they were held by his sides and glared daggers down at the raccoon standing before him. His teeth clenched in anger and his hands tightened around the handles of his pistols in anticipation to this moment.

"Sly Cooper", hissed the Major. Sly smiled and, gripping the outfit he wore, did a quick spin in the air and removed the uniform he wore over him. When that outfit was removed, Sly landed back on his two feet, dressed in his symbolic blue shirt, grey trousers, blue hat and holding his cane. He had discarded the MP 40 as he had decided to take this guy on the usual way.

"I should have realized you and your band of friends were here. So what now, you've come to stop me and steal back the loot left here by your grandfather?" asked the Major, his German accent flaring up. Sly's eye twitched upwards, his every mischievous and confident smirk in play.

"Of course", replied Sly. The wolf growled and spread his legs out, pulling both his pistols up and towards Sly, the hammers on his weapons pulling back and loading the rounds into the chambers.

"Well I'm afraid your efforts are wasted young Cooper. Though you may have found this place, you still won't win in this battle. This loot now rightfully belongs to the Third Reich", said the Major confidently. Sly smiled and stood up straight, crossing his arms and keeping his cool even though he was facing down the barrels of a pair of 9mm Parabellum pistols.

"No, that's only half right on my account Major. Yes, the Nazi's may have stolen these valuables many years ago from the people of Europe, but you got this by ill-gotten means. Me and my ancestors, we steal from criminals like you, never from the people. And besides, this is my grandfather's vault that you're standing by so why don't you step away from it and face me!" ordered Sly, brandishing his cane and pointing the hook end of it towards the wolf. Major Fang growled angrily, his expression looking like he could almost burst a vein or something.

"ENOUGH TALK! FINE! Have it your way Cooper. Whoever wins in this fight gets the prize. But I warn you, I am an accomplished fighter!" said the officer, pulling up his guns. Sly smirked and dropped into his fighting stance, cane held back and fist held in front of him for defense, legs spread out so to balance his weight so he was ready to take off in any direction sharply if any sudden movements were needed to be made.

"Right… but I must also warn you Major that even if you win, you still won't be able to make it out of this with the loot, what with Interpol here", said the raccoon. Major Fang grinned, his sharp, sparkling teeth bared.

"Maybe, maybe not, but that all depends whether I kill you quickly or give you a painful death, so guard up young thief and prepare to die!"

Through thief reflexes, Sly watched close at hand as the major pulled down on the triggers of his pistols, the muzzles aimed directly for him. At the instant the major pulled the triggers on his pistols, the explosions of gunpowder sounded and the bullets erupted from the barrel, followed by hot sparks but with a smokeless reaction. As per anticipated, Sly sharply turned right and sprinted out of the bullets path, the shots striking the ground where he once stood. Major Fang immediately noticed his targets change in action and, aiming his pistols with the raccoon in his crosshairs began blazing away, shot after shot of pistol machine gun fire.

Because Sly was in a large barn, it allowed him a lot of cover and high points to walk on so, after evading the first barrage of bullets fired by his opponent, made an amazing leap into the rafters and started skipping around from pillar after pillar, support after support, every now and then doing a flip by latching onto a overhanging pipe and soaring through the air so to get ahead more and away from the shots flying towards him.

Major Fang put full concentration into his fire, lifting his pistols up high and continuing to fire away, his shots taking chunks out of the wood or having the bullets fly straight through the ceiling. His pistols were so fully automatic that it almost seemed like he had two machine guns in his hands and, since these Mauser pistols were modified to suite his purposes, he was able to fire massive quantities of shots.

Turning round to see Sly overhead, the major started backing off away from the vault and, lifting his two pistols up, began firing away again. Sly, who was in position where the bullets were headed swiftly maneuvered through the various wooden supports and landed on a ledge or platform where some hay was lying, leaning over the side to see what his opponent's move was next.

Following his target while still backing off towards the exit, Major Fang had the thief in his sights again and immediately fired off another barrage of bullets, the entire platform Sly was on exploding into splitters and dust. Well, it seemed that way as the bullets colliding with both the hay and wooden supports punched holes into the old, decaying wood. Sly, meanwhile, had managed to jump out of the shots path again and, using the central pipe running along the roof of the barn, hooked onto it and swung to the other side, in the meantime slowly making his way towards the wolf.

"Come down here and fight! COWARD!" screamed the officer, sighting Sly again with his pistols and firing bombarding the support Sly was on with another barrage of shots, that area too turned into cheddar cheese as more holes emerged in the supports. Sly had leapt out of the way again and onto the central narrow, supporter. Using his ancestor, Tennessee Kid Cooper's rail walk technique, Sly sprinted along the walkway, forcing the Major to back off more to keep his target in his sights.

"With pleasure" shouted Sly. Immediately after saying those words, the raccoon made a major leap down towards the barn's floor but, instead of falling all the way, grabbed hold of the overhanging rope used to haul bundles of hay into the platforms above and, guiding his fall, swung straight towards the unsuspecting Major.

Major Fang was shocked beyond belief at what hit him when Sly suddenly sent both feet into the Major's chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying back. That blow was so strong that it knocked the guns out of the Major's hands before the wolf went flying into the barn's wooden frame wall. Upon hitting the wall, the Major created a small outline of himself in it as well as several cracks forming around the area he had hit before he fell back to the floor altogether, landing on his hands and knees.

Sly, who was still swinging on the rope with one hand, released his grip and fell back onto solid ground, cane in hand and dropped into a crouched fighting stance. His martial arts had improved greatly over the years and it was this that kept him at the tops above all Interpol and law enforcement personnel.

Sly watched the Major slowly rise to his feet, putting his foot down first and pushing himself up with a groan. The German officer staggered a bit but eventually, he was back up, fists balled and a angered expression on his face, his eyes glaring daggers and teeth bared and clenched as evidence. If looks could kill, Sly would be dead now.

"You! YOU! I'll get you for this Sly Cooper. I'm not holding back any longer! Feel the wrath of the master race!" screamed Fang, pulling his fists up to his cheeks into a boxing stance, his feet shuffling about to show his readiness. Sly raised an eyebrow at the amount of hatred he sensed issuing off of his opponent and came to the conclusion that Germans really didn't like losing. All in all, this guy had to be stopped.

Sprinting forward, the Major swiftly attacked his opponent to catch him off guard, cranking his fist back and sending a left jab at his opponent. Sly, quick as ever, side stepped the punch and was planning to make an attack when he saw his opponent crank his fist back and change his course of attack, sending the same left attack up at Sly's face in the form of an upper cut. Sly grunted when the fist connected with his chin and he was knocked flying back towards the exit of the barn, landing flat on his back, sending hay and dust into the air. The ground was solid at the exit and it hurt awful. Not only that: that was one heck of a punch!

Looking up, Sly saw the major skipping on the spot, still in a boxing stance and a feral smirk plastered on his face across his lips. "You see Sly Cooper, your speed is no match for my strength, you will never beat me", growled the Major. Sly, smiling pulled his legs back before pushing off, leaping to his feet and taking a stance again.

"Sorry major, but you've got to learn that it takes more then just eyesight and a strong arm to win a fight. Its all about the proper technique to use and agility, not just muscle power", said Sly. Fang scowled and stopped skipping about, fists still held up high and his muscles bulging from tension.

"Then you shall find Sly Cooper that I am gifted with all the attributes you have named", he explained. Sly smiled mischievously, his eyes glinting in confidence.

"So am I!"

Letting out a roar, Major Fang ran forward, cranking his right fist back and coming up with an upper cut. Sly, seeing this using his thief like reflexes, avoided it and side stepped again when the Major came in with an over hand jab. Sly moved so fast that it was like he left an after image in his wake, surprising his opponent greatly.

Pulling back from those punches, the Major charged back into a full out assault, throwing a right hook at Sly's head, only to have his opponent duck and slide under it, appearing behind his opponent. The Major tracked his targets movements and in turn, spun around to meet him. Keeping his guard up, he started skipping around, keeping on his toes while Sly, who was effortlessly avoiding the punches kept a normal posture, hands by his sides and cane gripped lightly in his hand.

Furious from the frustration growing in him, the Major attacked full out again, sending a left jab, a right punch, a left hook, a right upper cut, a left hook, a right body shot, a left knee, a right hook and another left jab, all of them followed up after another in a full out assault as the major attempted to hit his opponent. But try as he might, he didn't posses the agility and skill that Sly possessed that made the cunning thief so hard to fight. The thief could easily tell that his opponent was weakening under stress and if he didn't stop using anger in his attacks then Sly would more then likely stand in one spot and hardly move. Either way, the punches would miss because Fang was losing control over himself.

Changing tactics, Fang, cranked back his right leg and sent a roundhouse kick aimed for Sly's head. Sly ducked the kick and slid back a step, his opponent dropping his leg and swinging his left leg round the rest of the way in a side kick. Sly side stepped that one and waited as his opponent dropped back into his fighting stance, teeth clenched and bared in anger. Sly could swear he could see veins throbbing on his opponent's forehead and muscles. He wouldn't want to get hit by any of those punishing blows otherwise it would give him a concussion. Unless…

Herr Major Fang growled. "GRRR… STOP MOCKING ME! STAND STILL!"

Sly smirked. "Alright then, give me your best shot", said Sly, crossing his arms, his cane now firmly grasped in his hand. His eyes stared into the frustrated ones of Fang's, Sly's eyes showing no signs of worry, ill concentration or lack of focus. He was fully calm and looked like he was actually enjoying himself. The echoing sounds of gun fire grew as more artillery shells landed, shaking the earth beneath them more. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling from the earth shaking as the shouting outside grew.

Letting out a yell Major Fang threw his fist forward, intent on ruining his opponent's face, only to find out that he had made one big error. Never underestimate your opponents. TO his shock and bewilderment, Fang suddenly had his large fist caught by Sly's swift hand. His arm, not fully extended had stopped dead in his tracks by the devious raccoon and his fist was held in Sly's tight grip as the thief stared up at his opponent, his left hand lowered at his side, holding his cane.

Fang attempted to pull his fist back, only to find that the raccoon was stronger then he gave him credit for. It was this that proved to be his costly mistake. After trying several futile times to release his fist, he failed to notice Sly pulling him forward slightly and, quicker then the Major could see, Sly raised his right leg and thrust his right foot into the Major's face. A disgusting sound of bone breaking was heard when the Major received the punishing blow, the kick smacking him right in the kisser. Sly had released the Major's fist after he had thrown that kick and watched his opponent staggered back.

Not wanting his opponent to walk away with just a minor blow or gain the upper hand again, Sly sprinted forward and sent a punch into the wolf's gut, making Fang reel forward and let out a gasp as the air was knocked out of him, his eyes widened in shock. After embedding his fist into the Major's stomach, Sly cane up again and, tightening his grip on his cane, sent the edge of the hook in a jab motion into the same spot he had punched the major before, right in the torso. This seemed to worsen Fang's condition as he leaned forward even more, feeling Sly's cane impale him. When he thought it couldn't get worse, it did when Sly removed his cane from Fang's stomach and watched him drape two hands over his torso, groaning in protest to the pain. Sly wasn't finished yet.

When he saw the Major look up with a distressed look and watched as the Major rose both his fists in defense, Sly ran forward and sent a right hook at his head, only to have that blow blocked. However, seeing the major's slacked stance, Sly knew he could attack easily again and so he did, coming up with a left knee, to his chin , sending him flying backwards before finishing off with a right elbow, sending the elbow into Fang's chest, making him stagger back more rapidly. Sly was amazed to see that the officer could keep a good footing, despite all the damage he suffered.

Fang gripped his nose and groaned, staggering around as he tried to stop the bleeding from the kick he received to the face previously. When he lowered his hands, Sly saw that he was missing a tooth, as well as had red blood pouring out of his nostrils. He looked like a wreck.

Glaring up at his opponent, the Major balled his fists at his sides in anger and stomped his foot on the ground, his white, fluffy tail dancing around him. "NO WAY! CURSE YOU! YOU PIG!" yelled the wolf. Sly snorted, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow towards the pathetically complaining officer.

"You're the one with the flat nose now. I guess you're feeling disappointed. Why don't you just turn yourself in and end this, there is no point in continuing this fight, you'll never win", asked Sly. Fang let out a roar.

"I WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU! I will kill you Sly Cooper", growled Major Fang, feeling the ground sake even more from an artillery shell exploding not far from the barn. Sly sighed and dropped into a stance, disappointed that this guy wouldn't admit defeat. He was SS anyway.

"Very well then… lets go!" said Sly, shuffling about a bit and putting strength into his legs to prepare himself for a power jump. Fang saw Sly ready himself a trembled in fear almost. He didn't want to damage his ego anymore and in so doing, defeat his opponent. Using this time, Fang tried to seek out anything that would be an advantage to him. Then, that's when he saw his pistols lying a few meters away from him to his right close to the wall of the barn. He caught this out of the corner of his eye and, seeing its position, smirked. The gun had a couple more rounds in its magazine so, if he was to get at it, he would have to do it fast.

Glancing back up at Sly, he grinned evilly, his eyes flashing at his luck. Sly raised an eyebrow at his mood change and followed his previous gaze. He gasped when he saw the gun and quickly looked back at his opponent.

Sharply, Fang spun on his feet and sprinted towards his fallen weapon, leaping out towards it yet keeping his eyes on his opponent to see him starting to make his way towards him. "Your end is now Cooper. Save a place for me in hell!" yelled the wolf, diving for his gun and, with perfect precision, grabbed its handle and rolled along the floor. Sly growled in frustration at not getting to the weapon before hand but continued running towards Fang, figuring he could get to him before he fired that gun.

After rolling along the ground, Fang stopped in a crouched position and, because he was facing the walls turned around, gripping his pistol in both hands and targeted his opponent in his crosshairs. Sly was about five meters away from him and still running. That's when, time seemed to slow. Both combatants were eager to finish the other one off and in so doing, claim the rewards that follow.

Pushing off the ground, Fang began to stand up, sights still aimed at his opponent and weapon already loaded. Taking aim, he fired, the bullet wising through the air straight for Sly's forehead. The thief however, saw the shot fired and easily ducked it, at the same time, cracking back his left hand wielding the cane and gripped it tightly. Blue electricity began crackling round the hooked end of the cane as Sly charged up his final attack to full strength.

Fang panicked and attempted to fire another shot but he was too slow and Sly, using his charged up cane swiped upwards, knocking the gun out of Fang's hand. Fang felt pain shoot through his arm and heard a crack at the sound of his wrist breaking and cried, gripping his right wrist tightly in his hand. Just as he was hunching forward from the pain, Sly spun round and followed through with his cane strike, coming up to the Major's stomach with a left, backward, round house kick. His foot connected with Major Fang's gut, the blow so strong that it sent Fang flying back and straight through the wall behind him.

Upon flying through the wall, Fang landed a few meters away from the hole he had created, arms and legs sprayed out and lying on his back in an unconscious heap, chunks of wood lying around him that previously belonged to the wall. The hole he had created allowed Sly to get a good look at the once powerful Gestapo officer when he dropped out of his attack stance. He cringed when he saw the state the Major was in. Fang was completely patterned in visible bruises and cuts and was bleeding up a bit, and his face, well… if you could still call it a face had blood leaking from his nose a several more teeth knocked out of his lower and upper jaw. He had a black eye and the position he was in didn't seem to help as he had landed on a pile of firewood.

Recovering from the shocking sight and leaving the Major for the cops, Sly was brought back into the real world when sound returned to his ears, the first thing he heard were the shells going off around him and the sounds of machine gun fire. Looking out the exit of the barn, Sly could see the Germans falling back from the river and he knew that that meant one thing. Carmelita and her forces were crossing.

He furrowed his brow and turned to the vault on the end of the barn, seeing that it hadn't been touched or scratched.

"_I think its time to get my grandfather's loot then get the heck out of here!" _

* * *

_**Sly's diary entry…**_

"_The gang and I had pulled off the impossible. During the battle between Carmelita's forces and the remainder of the German army division stationed out here, Bentley, Murray and I managed to sneak the van round and collect the loot stored in the bunker below. It was this investigation of the supposedly long forgotten basement did we benefit a lot from when we discovered lost arts, gold, treasure, antiques and artifacts that hadn't been seen in over 60 years; a truly remarkable discovery as well as a grand recovery in the heat of battle!"_

"_After loading up the van with the treasures, the gang and I prepared to drive off. It got a little tricky though when Carmelita arrived with her squad to try and stop us, but we eventually got through, leaving her with a few 'items' I had collected from the vault and given to her as gifts, along with some other surprises. I left her a calling card, a rose and a sapphire encrusted necklace for her to keep. I suppose she wasn't as disappointed as she should have been. At least her mission wasn't a total loss."_

"_The German soldiers that surrendered were taken into custody by the military and turned into Interpol shortly afterwards. As for Herr Major Fang, already beaten badly and unable to move was given a life sentence behind bars. Carmelita remarkably enough made the front page, and with the entire German division wiped out, Holland's Government and country soon stabilized and the up rising in Europe was silenced. I guess that little trick of ours really hit the Nazi's hard."_

"_Unfortunately the boys and I wouldn't be getting a break for a long time as we discovered that we were in the centre of this mysterious war going on around us. The Ardennes offensive was only the beginning and so, we needed a new strategy to combat against this new threat. Powered by new determination, adrenaline and confidence, we prepared and set ourselves up for the greatest challenge of our life. This would prove to be our finest hour._

_After unloading the loot back at our safe house in Paris, we took a small breather before looking up on our next objective."_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Chapter 4

_**

* * *

**_

SLY COOPER 

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 4

Colonel Kennel stood at the window of his chambers. The fortified bunker that stood above all ground forces working at the excavation sight could see all and everything going on. Not only was it built on a firmly placed ledge but it also gave the Colonel a lot of view and command over his workers and soldiers. Seeing as that his bunker was perhaps the biggest and most known structure throughout the entire summit of the volcano the soldiers dared not screw up as they knew that the Colonel was watching over them like a God. He had eyes and ears everywhere, he was that fearsome.

As for the Colonel, he stood firmly where he was, face firm and possessing that ever serious and authentic expression. The scar across his right eye burned with the hatred of fire that swelled in his swirling blue eyes. His hands were held behind him and his sidearm was in its holster at its side, ready to be brought out if any sudden attacks on him should be made. His overconfidence was only matched by his strengths and tightened grip on the neighboring countries. However, he was soon to find out that he no longer had any more control over his forces.

Just as he was busy watching the diggers in the now larger crater below working hard, he suddenly heard the steel doors of his bunker open. His ears twitched in anticipation, hearing the two soldiers approach him from behind. Rounding the table, the two German shepherd's stopped side by side directly behind the Colonel at attention, hands at their sides and brave expressions forced onto their faces. Though they tried to keep their faces hardened, they couldn't stop the nervous drops of sweat running down the sides of their heads.

The Colonel saw their reflections in the window he was staring out through and his eyes cast over his shoulders towards them. His head barely moved as he addressed them of his knowledge of their presence. "Vhat is it", he demanded in a cold, harsh voice. The soldier to the right gulped nervously and stepped forward, hands moved to be placed behind him as he stood at ease while the other soldiers didn't dare move.

"H-Herr Colonel… I-I ha-have some t-terrible ne-news", the soldier stuttered, his limbs shaking and his stomach feeling like it was going to collapse, as well as his throbbing heart. He could hear his heart beats in his ears as his veins swelled and fists clenched uncomfortably. The Colonel turned his head and looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing down on the soldier behind him.

"Spill it", he hissed. The soldier pulled on his collar to let some air under his clothes. He was so hot and sweaty from being so nervous that he almost forgot what he was supposed to be reporting to the high commander. It was only after he had cooled down a bit did he start speaking again.

"W-We received a m-message from H-Holland. Uhh…H-Herr Major Fang's a-armored unit h-has been… w-well… uhh… captured b-by Interpol and the a-allies a-and the loot is no longer there. S-Sly C-Cooper and his gang beat u-us to it sir", announced the soldier, his breathing becoming heavy and quicker. It was after he had made this startling announcement did he start to feel more uneasy.

Colonel Kennel's ears twitched and his eyes flashed dangerously. These movements in his facial features did not go unnoticed by the two SS soldiers making this report and it scared the hell out of them. After his ears twitched, the bottom lid of Colonel Kennel's scarred eye twitched and slowly, he removed his hands from behind him and formed fists at his sides. Then as easily and calmly as he could turned around and approached the soldier that had made the report. He could see the fear edging on in the shorter German Shepherd's eyes as he approached and couldn't help but put on a forced smirk, even though he was feeling completely enraged at the moment.

His footsteps died down as he stopped in front of the soldier before him. After shaking his head and chuckling, much to the soldier's surprise, the Colonel reached out with his left hand and placed it firmly on the German shepherd's shoulder. His grip was rather tight but not enough to cause any pain. He kept his anger in check and bottled it up for the time being.

The Colonel looked up at the soldier in front of him and smiled. "Herr Private… do you have… any children", he asked. The soldier gulped and slowly shook his head.

"N-No Herr Colonel", the German shepherd managed to choke out. Colonel Kennel nodded.

"Oh… that's good", he said softly. Then, without warning, faster then a speeding bullet, the Colonel thrust a swift hand into the Private's torso, a muffled grunt escaping the soldier's lips upon contact of the fist. The soldier's eyes widened in shock and horror, as the Colonel glared at him with fiery eyes. The Colonel's teeth were clenched tightly beneath his lips and his grip on the soldier's shoulder tightened so much that he managed to break the soldier's shoulder. The other soldier still standing at attention watched as the scene was played out before him and couldn't help but shiver and whimper in action out of fear.

After a few seconds of having his fist placed firmly against the Private's torso, he suddenly pulled it free and stepped to the side and into a more proper posture. To add to the picture, held firmly in his right hand was his silver, curved handled knife and was shining in, not only in glamorous appearance but also with fresh, red, blood. The soldier, who had been stabbed, stood dazedly where he was for a few moments before suddenly falling to his knees. After letting out his last, silent breath, the Private then fell forward, falling flat on his chest, head turned to the side with his eyes widened and lifeless. Fresh blood dripped from his mouth and the newly formed hole in his gut.

Colonel Kennel glared down at the soldier lying beside him then looked up at his knife. It was during this time he had pulled out a white cloth from his pocket and was tenderly wiping his knife clean of the blood from its victim. Knowing that there was another soldier present and that he had been the witness to this crime, the Colonel decided to confess his reasons.

"It's a shame, he vas still so young. Guess he should think tvice before addressing me that vay", the Colonel spoke uncaringly but in a soft manner. After thoroughly cleaning his knife over, he stuffed the cloth back into his pocket then glared up at the soldier still standing. His knife rose slightly and, as he fixed his eyes on the SS Private, his blade shone in the light. "Besides… I needed someone to kill. It gets so stressful some times", he spoke again, this time with his cold tone coming back into full focus, sending a chill of fear down the remaining soldier's spine.

The soldier just stood where he was, unmoving. Slowly, the Colonel approached him, knife rose threateningly. After a few steps, the Colonel came up to the soldier and pressed the point of the knife against the soldier's chest. He was lucky though as the medal the soldier wore blocked off the knife's path, not that it would do him much good though. The soldier still winced at the contact of the blade. Kennel glared coldly at the soldier as he stared him in the eyes with bravery he had never expected.

"Get this message down and have it transmitted to Herr Major Von Talon. Tell him that he is to initiate Operation Bee. Have his air force ready to leave Germany and strike at France's border. There is a good possibility that vith vhatever strength he has under his ving, he vould be able to take France and defeat the allies there. Ve may not have the money, but ve do have the element of surprise. GO!" ordered the Colonel, his blade pressuring more against the soldier's badge, forming a small dent on its surface.

The soldier didn't need telling twice and, after giving the Heil Hitler salute, turned on his heel and left, making haste for the radio room in a hurry. The Colonel smirked and turned to look down at the soldier he had killed. Before the Private could exit the chamber, the Colonel shouted.

"OH! And get some men to get this corpse out of here before he stinks up the place. Tell them my messenger had a horrible indigestion!"

* * *

_**Sly's diary entry**_

"_Apparently the Nazi movement was far larger then I thought and that its expansion had stretched across almost all of Europe. Who would have thought that such large numbers of troops and armored divisions could move around undetected, unless they were using some sort of cloaking device or a disguise of some sorts to blend in with their surroundings? Whatever the case, this situation was getting out of hand and with each passing day, me and the boys knew that they were preparing themselves for a big comeback. Even after crippling their forces in Holland, I knew that they were still very strong and would want revenge. After hearing how big the uprisings in Europe were, I was not inclining to let a surprise assault be made by these two timing losers."_

"_I had to call in a few favors, but Bentley eventually hooked on to Herr Kennel's right hand man and next second in command of the Forth Reich: a retired air force commander from the cold war known as Standartenführer or Senior Major, Herr Von Talon. Growing up, this young man was recruited by the German army during the Soviet conflicts to participate in the liberation of some of Germany's capitals under Russian rule. When the uprising caused by this small rebellion failed, Von Talon, who was one of the leading senior officers after his many promotions in the field was sentenced to a lifetime imprisonment in Siberia. It was here where he developed a strong bond with the many elements that surrounded him. In his free time he would attempt to escape but was always captured and badly wounded. It was from his greatest defeats that strengthened him and slowly, turned him into one of the strongest and hardened prisoners Russian military forces had to deal with."_

"_One day, during a fierce storm, the camp Von Talon was imprisoned in collapsed, creating a great getaway setup for the eagle. With strength beyond any other bird in the world, this hardened senior officer escaped and when he settled in the countryside back in the now United Germany, he plotted his revenge against the Russians who had imprisoned him. It was these SS-Gestapo forces that took him in, and the first person from the organization to confront him was Colonel Kennel himself."_

"_It was amazing what kind of a grip Colonel Kennel had on the people around him and the people who served him. It only makes it more interesting that this guy was as loyal a servant then any other man I had known. He would go to the limit to fulfill his missions and assignments and from the looks of it; there would be no stopping him until his entire force was taken down. If so, then a fist full of his power would be flushed, leaving me free to finally take him out. That is, if I could find him."_

"_Word on the wind was that Colonel Kennel has left Herr Major Von Talon in charge of his air force and was planning on taking over France in full strength. If Von Talon and his Luftwaffe air force were to Blitzkrieg into France before the allies could get to the borders, then darkness would fall on Europe once again and split the country in two, just like the Swastika that hung over all of Western Europe 60 years ago. The more frightening realization this time was that Carmelita was centered in the middle of the entire conflict, accompanied by a small detachment of forces on the look out for me. I believed that she would be alright throughout the upcoming ordeal and that she would be able to lookout for herself, what with her strengths and all, but after arriving on the river Rhine at Remagen, the sight of the entire German air force gathering in sheer numbers and strength sent a chill down my spine. If Carmelita were to be caught in the middle of it, then I don't know what I would do if I were to lose her. I couldn't live without her."_

"_Setting up shop outside of the town, me and the boys planned for an attack. Though the odds were stacked against us, we were willing to risk our lives to stop this threat. Maybe there would be more in it for us then we thought…"_

"_If it was to save Carmelita, then I was all in for it…"_

* * *

_**Remagen, Germany**_

Leaping over the rooftops of the previously war torn city of Remagen, Sly Cooper made his way over to the bridge leading over the River Rhine. It was this bridge on his objective list that was the key access point to the operation about to be undertaken by the Cooper gang.

While Sly took to the rooftops to keep a lookout in the distance for any enemy troops or units moving in on their sector, Murray and Bentley drove through the city streets in the team van, following the quick footed raccoon that kept on evading various obstacles in his path and would usually disappear. It was these moves that made Bentley and Murray lose sight of their friend but they were relieved when the raccoon returned. Not only did they need the van to follow Sly because he was the fastest out of all three of them, they also used the van for other purposes. Because the engines of the van were modified so that they ran quietly, it was perfect for sneaking up on people, especially at this time where total silence was needed for this operation to succeed. Also, this van was a primary source of the gang's central communication tower, not just a moving safe house and getaway vehicle. This new van was far better then the last one, but Murray was still getting used to the new flow.

It was dawn, and the sun was slowly rising on the clouded, mountain patterned horizon beyond Sly's view of the mountains ahead of him. The only view of the sun's warm glow was the orange, golden toned sky. Pictured perfectly against the background color was the massive structure of Remagen Bridge itself. Its bronze, arched frame was the first thing to be seen as soon as you entered the town. It was probably the largest monument and structure in the entire Rhine city. Because it extended itself after the wide Rhine River, it sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. The allies used it as a way point to mark their positions back in WWII and also used it as a bombing tool where they would be able to locate German positions easily. This was one of the many advantages the allies had but when it came down to three operatives, it would be far trickier operation.

After working their way down hill for a fair way, Sly stopped abruptly, perched on a diminutive point on one of the inner buildings of the Rhine town. Bentley and Murray, seeing their friend stop also stopped, the hippo putting his foot down on the pedals and halting his van. The vehicle came to a screeching stop but its engine continued to murmur. After the van had stopped on one of the many dirt roads mazing throughout the city, Murray looked out the window and up at Sly while Bentley, who happened to have his binocucom out focused it on his best friend and started his communication transmission with the raccoon. Sly's ear piece crackled into life as the raccoon brought out his own binocucom but instead of turning toward the van parked several stories below him, directed it towards the large bridge structure several blocks away.

"_**Sly, what's wrong? Why'd you stop",**_ asked Bentley in concern. Sly sighed and shook his head. Maps and readouts in the visor of his binocucom came to life and began locking onto all foreign objects besides the bridge itself. Any movements would have been detected by the binocucom's motion sensors and as far as Sly could tell, he was looking directly into a ghost town.

"Nothing's wrong Bentley, that's the problem. There's nobody in this town, it's completely deserted! If there were any German troops then we surely would have seen them by now", said Sly, looking up and down the large frame structure of the bridge. There were no snipers, no patrols and no vehicles other then Bentley and Murray inside the van. It was apparent that back in the war the Germans were capable of hiding heavy vehicles such as tanks and halftracks in large hedge groves and barns, and it was also documented that if a allied division were to move into that particular town where the Germans were currently hiding, they would be ambushed and after the attack, the allied forces would retreat, severely crippled.

Bentley, hearing the worried tone in Sly's voice nodded in agreement and started looking up and down the street he and Murray were parked in. _**"I know that Sly, but it's pretty obvious isn't it. The German people aren't involved in this war. As it has already been established, we're only talking about one massive army of German soldiers who have chosen to return to the old Third Reich ways. The people of Germany who aren't involved with the SS Gestapo legion are still mending the scars they had suffered from the first two World Wars and they don't want to get involved in another. They must have heard about the incoming attack and retreated before it arrived",**_ said Bentley. Sly nodded again and bit his lower lip, directing his attention towards the large cliffs and hills beyond the river and behind the bridge. There was a large train line stretching across the bridge but no trains, and there was also a large tunnel and went into the hills and mountains. But after all accounts, there was no life to be seen. Not even a bird dared to fly away.

"You've got a point there with your theory Bentley, but as far as I'm concerned the attack hasn't even come yet. We're way ahead of schedule", replied the raccoon. Murray glanced over at Bentley, hearing Sly talking over the loudness of the binocucom but was also curious as to what was going on. Bentley was too caught up in speaking with Sly to notice Murray's gaze.

"_**That's exactly my point Sly. If we are here before the Luftwaffe's arrival, then we have a strong advantage at this point. We will be able to prepare our attack before they even have a chance to get here and gather up all there forces. If you can take out the leading aircraft, then we can cripple their forces severely. If this plan works, then the allies would surely defeat these forces. Also, the time it would take for you to take down the boss would also give the allies valuable minutes to gather their forces along the boarders and repel the attack, thus saving Carmelita. It's full proof",**_ said Bentley enthusiastically. Sly grinned and nodded.

"I see, so it's just an air attack we're focusing on. If I'm not mistaken, these SS troops aren't as smart as they are, they're sure to use old WWII aircraft as it has worked _so_ well in the past and that they are cheaper to manufacture. If I can get a hold of a plane myself, then I just might be able to take down the fighters and hold off the forces until a nearby strike team interferes", said Sly. Murray, hearing this, decided to intervene and joined his ear piece with their frequency.

"_**Sly, we know that you're the best pilot we've got here, but you facing off an entire air force is a really risky stunt. You've got a lot of grim odds out there pal",**_ said Murray while holding his finger to his ear. Sly heard his good friend cut in and smiled, his ear twitching and his binocucom lifting off of his eyes ever so slightly.

"Trust me Murray when I say this, get my plane up and running, and I'll be fine", said Sly firmly.

"_**Way ahead of you Sly",**_ he suddenly heard Bentley exclaim over his ear piece and, lowering his binocucom fully from his eyes glanced behind him to see the back doors of the van wide open and a giant sling shot ramp being unloaded and setting itself up on the dirt road. The railings were placed against the van and the support beams were drilled into the ground. With the automated crossbow launcher and ramp in place, the all too familiar biplane Sly had watched Murray and Bentley construct not too long ago roll out onto the ramp, the rear clicking into the launcher loudly. In all haste, the plane was set and the turtle sitting in the wheelchair crossed his arms proudly and smiled up at Sly.

"Well, is she a beauty or what", Bentley shouted, nodding over to the large blue plane. Sly awed at the aircraft in amazement. Painted in the symbolic Cooper symbol colors as well as bearing the three faced symbol of the Cooper gang (consisting of Murray, Bentley and Sly's signs), it was as colorful as it came. It had four machine guns on it, two on each wing and was also armed with homing missile launchers beneath the support wings. It also had a rear machine gun, just in case he was being attacked from behind and needed to shake him off his tail. Needless to say, Sly was really impressed. Crouching on the roof, he swiveled around and smiled at Bentley in return, giving his friend the thumbs up.

"Great work Bentley, ten out of ten for me! But the question is, can she fly", Sly replied. Bentley grinned and thumbed over at the brightly shining plane.

"That remains to be seen pal! When the Luftwaffe makes their stand here, they will never know what hit them!" Bentley shouted. Sly smiled and nodded. He was about to yell something else as a suggestion only to be interrupted when Murray let out a yell, his head and left arm popping out of the van's rolled down window. Sly and Bentley looked over at their friend in surprise to see the hippo trembling violently, his finger raised and pointing in the direction of the sky just beyond the River Rhine.

"GUYS L-LOOK!!!" Murray shouted. Bentley and Sly spun round, throwing their sights in the direction Murray was pointing in. Bentley let out a yelp of shock while Sly, remaining calm and collected pulled up his binocucom and placed them to his eyes, looking onto the horizon and into Germany. What he got was one of the biggest shocks in his life.

In the skies, silhouetted against the orange skies and clouds was, not just a small squadron of aircraft, but what looked to be an entire attack force of over a hundred fighters. The sky was filled with them; they looked like a massive flock of birds. Well, with Sly's enhancement of his binocucom, he was able to see that this was no laughing matter. All types of fighters were there: Messerschmitt fighters, Heinkel fighters, Horten interceptors, Focke-Wulf's, the whole shebang. These fighters however were just the starters. Flying about a few miles behind, there was an entire force of Junker Ju 87's, nicknamed the _Stuka_! They were the most feared of all dive bombers used in WWII. Capable of high speeds while diving and really effective at it, the screaming sounds they made of the wind blowing through special whistles in their wheels gave them their fierce reputation, as well as their nickname. Sly counted at least 60 of them. Then, there was the real threat that would spell doom for hundreds of cities across Europe. 120 Heinkel He 111 medium bombers were on flight and were heading in Sly's direction. They were the primary bombers used by the Luftwaffe and, the worst of all, were used to carpet bomb cities, towns and military industries. They were far more effective then a Stuka, capable of carrying torpedoes as well as bombs. They were like flying fortresses! To finish off Sly's observations, there was a count of 25 zeppelins following them close behind, all of them also armed with bombs and anti-aircraft weapons.

Sly, lowering his goggles gulped and blinked a few times. He needed to be sure that he wasn't seeing things. When he actually saw the Luftwaffe's entire air force flying in over the horizon for real, he turned to Bentley with a rather bewildered expression in play. "Wow…now that's a whole lot of planes", Sly said. Bentley shook in his chair and wheeled back a bit at the sight of the planes coming in, and closing fast.

"This is insane! We'll never fight off all those German planes!" Bentley shouted in a fear stricken voice. Murray was also shaking in the seat of the van, completely flabbergasted at the sight of over a thousand planes.

"We don't stand a chance!!"

Sly blinked a couple of times at his friend for a moment but then scowled. Packing his binocucom, he leapt off the roof and onto the solid cement ground below. With his cane flung back into the sheath on his back, he walked over to the plane and passed by his friend Bentley. Leaping onto the ramp, he clambered into the pilot's seat of his biplane. "Not standing here we don't Murray. Crank up the Flak gun in the back and get on the turret, I'll take on those planes myself", Sly stated, nestling himself into his seat and grabbing the flight goggles lying on the dashboard of the pilot's seat. Fitting them on, he gripped the joysticks of his aircraft and started up the engine. He gritted his teeth in determination. "I will not let them get Carmelita. They started this, I intend to finish it!"

Bentley, admiring his friend's courage grinned and nodded. "If that's the kind of spunk that your ancestor William 'Sharp-Shot' Cooper had, then let's get this bird cranked up and ready for action! MURRAY!" Bentley shouted to the hippo looking out the window of the van. "Have that AA gun set up and ready. There is a chance the Luftwaffe won't shoot into their air force flocks. You need to aim carefully. Take out as many bombers as you can!"

Murray, turning to look towards the back of the van after being addressed, gave his friends the nod and the thumbs up, disappearing into the large van. Within the seconds that past, there was a lot of commotion going about this street of the Remagen town. With Bentley cranking up the ramp, Sly switching on the controls of his aircraft and Murray fumbling about in the back of the van, things were really starting to heat up already. This commotion was to end with a bang when Sly's plane roared to life, its engine chugging with hoarse power and threatening to fling itself into the sky without the help of the plane launcher. With Sly at the controls, he looked down at Bentley and gave the turtle the thumbs up, look of confidence written all over him. "Punch it Bentley!" Sly shouted above the noise of his engine.

Bentley nodded and gripped the release lever. "Alright Sly, take out those bombers and fry those fighters, show them what a member of the Cooper Gang can do!" With a click, Bentley pulled the lever. What followed was a large twang and a gust of wind as Sly's plane was flung skyward, up and over the van and beyond. The biplane zoomed into the skies like a bullet, the pilot himself leaning back into the seat from the force of take off. He gripped the handles for support but once he had gotten use to the sudden change in altitude, pushing his joysticks into action and leveling out. Looking back, he could see the Cooper van shrinking into the distance, with the town disappearing as well. With a smile, he turned back to the course ahead of him and shot off towards his targets.

Bentley whistled as he watched the plane vanish into the distance and nodded, clearly impressed. Suddenly, another loud noise burst into the open and Bentley turned towards the van, this time towards the roof. He got kind of a jump when he saw a Bofors 40mm AA gun sitting on top of the van, Murray behind it at the controls. The massive gun and twin crosshairs applied to the sides of the gun with massive magazine capacities, a length out barrel and cranking controls. The pink hippo growled and gripped the massive bolt at the side of the gun, the gun making loud loading noises as the first rounds were pushed into the chamber. It was understandable; the gun was about the size of a car!

"OH YEAH! THE MURRAY WILL TAKE IT FROM HERE! Prepare to eat lead you kraut bums", Murray screamed, pulling one of the handles at the side of his seat, raising the barrel a clean 10 degrees higher towards the sky. Bentley though befuddled by Murray's actions shrugged and turned back to the skies. When he saw that the odds were still stacked against Sly, Bentley spun on his heel and ran towards the Bofors gun on top of the van. Taking his place in the second seat beside his friend, he pulled out his binocucom and nodded.

"You shoot; I'll guide your line of fire!"

* * *

_**Air Zeppelin 270**_

_**Pride of the Luftwaffe…**_

Sitting like a king in a throne sized chair behind the main control bridge of the largest Zeppelin in the entire fleet, the Commander of the Luftwaffe and Second in Command of the SS Gestapo Legion, Major Von Talon sat, watching the landscapes floating into view. Germany had been quite a relief for him, but inside his most prized airship, he felt even better. Served the best champagne, wine and booze in all of Europe and commanding his air force was the life. From here, he felt like he could rule the world. From the forces he held, it was possible.

The inside of the command Zeppelin was well crafted and well designed, definitely suiting the royalty of the SS army. Along the white washed, metal walls that matched the varnished floorboards, red banners with the Swastika were hung up with the Nazi German emblem up on the wall behind and above the commander himself. Aside from that, there were many paintings that decorated the bridge, with the exception of SS riot guards. Dressed in the black and silver uniforms of the Special SS legions wearing the black steel helmets and armed with MP 40's, they looked as fierce as they were. They were of course wolves. Then there was the crew itself. They wore the grey and blue formal wear that the old WWII pilot officers wore. They consisted of German Shepherds and Eagles, all of them armed with the famous Lugar sidearm. They walked around stiffly, definitely to show their superiority. The Major wasn't fussed about their behavior and just let them carry on.

The view windows that stretched across the circular front of the compartment hanging beneath the massive balloon showed them the landscapes as clear as day. The clouds high above were looking quite tempting to float up into but, being under strict instructions, they weren't permitted too. However, the landscapes and skies weren't the only magnificent sights. The main attractions were the hundreds of thousands of planes flying to their left, right, behind and in front of them. Their motors were roaring loudly with the pilots at the controls staying on their present flight course. The entire Luftwaffe air force looked magnificent in all their glory, and the strength superiority they showed as amazing too. Never have so many planes been launched in ages, not since 'Operation Market Garden' in September.

With his helmet worn proudly on his head and bathing in the glamorous arts of Nazi Germany, Major Von Talon was at peace with himself. Fisting his feathered fingers and clenching his hands tightly, he glared out beyond the windows. The commanders of the Zeppelin were busy directing the traffic in the air and steadily keeping the Zeppelin on course. Because the engines of the Zeppelin were quite powerful, it propelled the blimp as fast as the planes flying around them. The rest of the blimps had the same speed and velocity but were slightly slower and lightly armed. Unlike the Air Zeppelin 270, they were children compared to this mother load. Any pilot would hesitate before tackling on this giant monstrosity.

Sighing, the Major continued to gaze out the windows, the Rhine River coming into view and the town of Remagen approaching little by little. Still within German territory, he had little to fear of any enemy attacks and just sat back and relaxed. "I will not fail Herr Colonel Kennel. The success of his mission now depends on this assault into France. If the artwork that he wanted didn't come to him, then I may as well bring him the Mona Lisa instead", the giant eagle stated. With a smirk and a evil chuckle, he took the glass of wine sitting beside him on the arm rest and sipped at it in a gentlemanly way. Lowering the glass from his lips, he gripped the glass tightly. He tightened his grip around it so much that the glass shattered in his grip.

Unfazed by the shattering of the glass, he turned to his adjutant standing beside him. The proudly standing hawk dressed in a SS uniform was staring ahead of him, not daring to meet the eyes of his commander. The Major glared at him and nudged the young soldier, getting his attention. "Get the Colonel on the line, tell him Major Von Talon is about to cross the Rhine. No enemy resistance."

The SS Corporal turned to the Major, nodded and stomped off for the radio room, disappearing to the door behind the bridge's throne. There was a bit of shouting coming from the other rooms but there were definitely the sounds of orders being given out by officers to enlisted men. The Major took in these sounds and rested back. He had a feeling that this operation was going to go swimmingly from now on.

* * *

Sly had never felt this free. Feeling the rush of wind blowing in his face and the adrenaline rushing through his veins was the most extraordinary thing he had ever seen. Never in his life had he had an opportunity to fly a plane and this was a first. It was great. But instead of using this time to enjoy his time in the sky, he moved onto more serious business. With the targets staring him right in the face, he had to move into a flank attack. Not wanting to be the receiving end of a hail of 50 caliber gun fire, Sly pulled his plane high into the sky and to the right, taking his place above the clouds in an effort to bypass his targets. With the blanket of clouds covering him, he had a chance of launching a surprise attack.

His engine was deafened by the sounds of a thousand engines roaring down below. He was pleased at this, knowing that he would be able to gain the element of surprise this way. What he was planning to do would prove to be a risky maneuver. If he was able to draw the attention of the fighters and anti-aircraft guns from those blimps, then he should be able to use it to an even greater advantage like…turning their own guns against them. This was going to get real messy real quick.

Having achieved the element of surprise, Sly punched his engines to full throttle, swinging his plane to the left. Spinning in the air, he now set his course in a high altitude strike, his first target: the high level bombers. Loading his heavy machine guns by pulling back on the loading lever, he readied himself. His fingers were itching at the triggers on the steering handles. The cold rush of clouds blew at his face as he continued to dive at a even level. Within moments, he broke through the cloud cover, his eyes and guns set on the mass of bombers flying in their set formation. With their backs turned to him and with his fast approach, he achieved absolute surprise. With not a second to waste, as soon as he caught sight of the squadron of bombers, he pressed the green buttons on the steering handles, firing off the first barrage of Katyusha like rockets at the bombers. The missiles soared straight through the air and in great quantities before Sly stopped firing and switched to machine guns. Flipping to the right, he unleashed his second assault.

By the time Sly had switched weapons, the rockets he had launched struck the first bombers in his sights. The first to go was a lone craft on the edge of the entire mass. Next soon to follow were six to seven more inside the entire squadron. The bombers felt the sting of the rockets before bursting into flames, exploding and sending shrapnel and debris everywhere. The bombs they carried strengthened the explosion, creating a blast radius five times larger then expected. This managed to take out several more bombers before they began being bombarded by machine gun fire. Not even reacting to the incoming machine gun figure because all the bombers were being thrown about in the explosive forces of the exploding planes, one more bomber met the full brunt of Sly's assault, the cockpit exploding in a hail of shards of glass, shrapnel and burning debris. The bomber was sent plummeting from the sky above.

With his attack successful, Sly flew straight into the mass of bombers, weaving through them and blasting at any of them who got in his way. The bombers suffered very heavy or little damage while some were still regaining their composure's from the tremendous explosions that occurred. When they finally did recover, the gunners and turret operators of the surrounding aircraft loaded their weapons and began finding their enemy. To their surprise, it turned out to be one miserable little biplane. Well, that was from their perspective. This was one plane all bombers here should fear.

One of the bombers, who stood at an even altitude with many others, saw the biplane swing out of the squadron of bombers in front of them. The small biplane swung around and started to fly back towards them, machine guns blazing. The pilot, who was a anthropomorphic hawk dressed in a full on, winter pilot's outfit pointed at the plane and shouted back towards the rest of his crew. "Gun him down! Gun him down!" he practically screeched. "No evasive maneuvers! Ve do not vant to crash into anyone else!"

The gunners in the top ball turret loaded the twin MG42's and directed the sights on the bi plane. Simultaneous, all guns on the bomber lit up, the 'chatter-chatter-chatter' echo they made booming like thunder. Orange shots flew threw the air straight through the air and directly at their targets. Sly however was far more advanced then that. Seeing the shots ring out and the guns blazing on all nearby bombers, he flipped out of the way and dropped altitude, beginning to climb up to reach his next targets. Coming up underneath them, Sly hammered away at his targets, taking down the bombers in his sights. He chipped away at one on the far right and one right behind it. The bullets punched right through them with numerous ones taking out the wings. One bomber caught up in this blaze of fire had its right wing sawn off and in a chain reaction, spun out of control. The bomber spun directly into another, crashing straight through it and splitting it in half. A massive explosion followed and Sly was forced to pull up. The bombers following the two planes that collided with each other pushed their engines to full, a loud roar filling the skies as the bombers broke away, changing course and making evasive maneuvers, all at their own risk.

Sly let out a laugh at the sight of the erupting flames from the explosion, his eyes lighting up to the spectacle. However, when the fire died and was replaced by smoke, Sly returned to the battle and once again, charged straight into the masses of bombers. Fire was in the sky now, and it was time for a bit of dog fighting action!

* * *

_**Air Zeppelin 270**_

Herr Major Fang was about to take a sip from his new champagne glass when he suddenly felt a great lurch and feel the entire airship vibrate. The entire crew of Zeppelin 270 was thrown off their feet from the massive shockwave that followed, almost knocking the Zeppelin out of control. Quickly regaining their positions, the crew of the airship began rushing about to find out what was wrong while the Major continued to sit where he was, brushing away the champagne liquid that stained his pants. When that was accomplished he began looking about. His fighters and dive bombers were still in formation, but some massive explosion must have caused that great lurch. That could only mean one thing.

His face twisted into a tight scowl and he gritted his teeth. "Nien!" He was interrupted a moment later by his adjutant running up beside him and stopping at attention. He turned to the soldier, receiving the Heil Hitler salute before getting down to the urgent report.

"Herr Major, our bomber squadron is under attack by a rogue fighter! They describe it to be a blue biplane! It is heavily armed and has already destroyed 15 bombers!" The wolf informed. Von Talon's eyes widened and his button jaw dropped slightly. He growled lowly and hardened his glare on his adjutant in disbelief, beads of nervous sweat appearing on his helmet.

"WHAT!!!" The eagle cried, making everyone present jump. The Corporal gulped and pointed back towards the hallway he had come from where the radio room was.

"Should I inform the fighters to dispatch with this enemy unit", he asked. The Major got up, his fists clenched and tightening. They made bone crunching sounds as his hands balled, his form towering over the wolf. The cape he wore draped over his shoulders fluttered as he stepped down from his great chair and towards the bridge of his craft.

"Yes, make sure that this renegade fighter is dispensed with, leave none of him stand…!" The Major never managed to finish his sentence when the Zeppelin shook violently again, throwing him and his crew over again. The Major fell to his knees at the sounds of explosions and the feel of rapid vibrations coursing through his entire ship. Shaking his head from the ringing, he looked up to see to his shocked eyes that explosions of small, black clouds were bursting all around his fighters and bombers in view. The sight of this sent chills down his spine and could only mean one thing. Suddenly, one of the bombers on course was suddenly struck by one of the flying projectiles and within seconds, burst into flames, its wreckage plummeting to the ground below, a trail of fire being left behind. There was a loud whistle and another massive explosion soon to follow. The Major growled and spun around to his crew, the vibrations in the ship becoming fiercer.

"FLAK! We're under anti-aircraft fire! Do not take any evasive maneuvers, just climb altitude. Give the order to our fighters to dispense with that other fighter! I don't know what is happening but something is!" The Major growled. The crew of his Zeppelin hurried back to work again, shouting and yelling echoing through the compartment and the rest of the airship. The Major, seeing his men rushing about turned back to the window with an angry expression in play. He growled and spat at the ground. "Sly Cooper…"

Indeed he was right. Miles below and ahead in one of the many streets of Remagen, the Cooper gang was definitely giving the Luftwaffe a run for their money. Bentley and Murray were working feverishly at the Bofors anti-aircraft gun, with Murray cranking the fire trigger and Bentley targeting the enemy units in the air. The resounding explosions from the projectiles bursting in the air sounded that their attack was taking effect. The loud thuds and echoing booms the gun made echoed all around, flames from the bullets exiting the barrel emerging from the muzzle at full strength.

Bentley gritted his teeth and pointed towards a region in the skies Murray was leaving out, the hippo cranking the gun so that it met that point. "Enemy Stukas, focus your fire on them! The fighters can't do anything about us just take out those bombers!"

Murray growled and opened fire again, more ammo continuously being loaded into the gun and empty shells spilling out all across the streets and van. "I got it Bentley, I got it! There are hundreds of them; I'm trying to keep up!!"

* * *

Sly let out a yell and launched another barrage of rockets towards the bombers as he flew his plane directly towards them. He had pulled his plane back to the squadron when he had passed them and was now playing chicken with them, flying straight towards the entire mass of them. Though gunfire littered the skies and shot towards him, the bombers were pulling out of there before they could ram into the crazy Cooper. Sly however was unafraid. His rockets soared head long into the medium bombers, destroying them and sending their remains hurling through the air. They struck any of the other nearby bombers who were flying too close, destroying them and sending them into oblivion or badly damaging them. His machine guns also worked away, chattering through the skies and sending the heavy caliber projectiles through the air and into the bombers. The sky was filled with explosions and debris as more bombers met a quick end.

Flying straight through the mass until he reached the end of the entire squadron of bombers, Sly pulled up sharply and flipped over, his plane spinning around so that it was upright again. Then, with his engines at full throttle, he flew straight back towards his targets. At the same time, he was able to witness the fall of many more bombers, their flaming remains falling from the sky and back to earth where they belong. Ashes, to ashes, dust to dust. But not twiddling too long on thoughts, Sly worked away, this time, drilling holes into the backs of the bombers. Met with fierce tail gun fire from the bombers, Sly flew straight into the bombers range again, firing rockets and peppering them with heavy machine gun fire. He took out the first lot in the back, sending them to hell. Even though he missed a few more that flew by him, he kept going, firing rockets at random into the masses. Even if he missed his first target, the rockets would definitely hit many others around since they were so bunched up. However, in response to this new threat, the bombers have broken away a bit so to allow firing space between them. They had to be careful though so that they didn't hit any of their other comrades.

Spinning and quickly shifting through the air, Sly avoided as much gunfire as he could, sweating where he was as he flew through the hailstorm. He could not believe he had lasted this long, and the extra ammo that Bentley and Murray had packed into the fighter have definitely given him the edge. However, just as he downed another medium bomber, he soon became aware of the Luftwaffe greetings. Flying straight through the clouds of smoke from the wreckage, breaking the winds and shooting straight towards him, an entire squadron of Messerschmitt fighters made their appearance. Upon seeing the fighters coming straight for him, Sly let out a growl and punched his engines, pulling up into the skies above them, avoiding the bullets they had purposefully launched at him. Barely missing the gunfire, he took to the skies to evade the fighters. "Let's go!!"

Zooming up higher then any bomber could ever go, Sly managed to evade the Messerschmitt fighters for now, but no sooner then he headed straight into the clouds, the German fighters were on his tail. A squadron of at least 25 fighters was after him now and Sly soon became the receiving end of a lot of heat. Orange bullets shot through the air straight at him from behind. he could feel the bullets whiz straight past him and see them soar off into the distance. From the number of shots being fired at him and from the loud noises he heard, he instantly knew what he was truly up against. But whatever the case, he kept on climbing; reaching such a high altitude that the air became thin and the engine of his biplane was starting to strain. Growling through frustration, Sly looked behind him and back to earth. He could still se the Heinkel bombers flying out of reach as well as the fighters on his tail, their mass swarming straight towards him like a flock of birds. This was the perfect opportunity to surprise them. Yet again taking a risky maneuver, Sly spun his plane about and dived straight towards the fighters. In return, the Messerschmitt fighters zoomed straight past him as he weaved through the barrage of bullets, pulling his plane back into submission. With all haste, he dived straight down for the bombers again, chancing a glance behind him to where the fighters that were chasing him now were. As expected, the entire squad had broken up and were turning back around to come after him again, their shadows made by the sun reflecting in the clouds. Though it was a remarkable sight, Sly turned back to face in front of him and further quickened his dive.

At full speed, he shot directly for the top of the bombers, unleashing an entire barrage of lethal airplane fire and Katyusha rockets. Unfortunately for him, that was the beginning of his problems. After at least a dozen or so more rockets have been fired, his launchers ran out. Sly watched as the remainder of his rockets struck the Heinkel bombers, taking them out and sending their remains back to earth. But there was still so many and Sly grumbled in irritation. That's when he was suddenly bombarded by heavy fire from both the bombers in front of him and the fighters behind him. The Messerschmitt squadron has finally caught up and so Sly needed to take more evasive maneuvers. Letting out a yell of rage, he charged the bombers, heading straight for one of which in particular right in the centre of the mass. He knew what he was going to do. Out of pure foolishness and daring, Sly wheeled out of the Heinkel's line of fire and cut into it straight in front of it. He missed it by a meter or so, the bomber swaying in the air from the raccoon zooming past it. Unfortunately, the bomber was not to remain suspended in the air for long when suddenly, two of the 25 Messerschmitt fighters from the squadron sent to dispatch with Sly slammed right into the side of the bomber, striking it and exploding in a hail of debris and fire. The bomber and the fighters disintegrated on impact while the other fighters scattered amongst the rest of the bombing squadron, still after their target.

Making his way threw the bombers and not afraid the bombard the ones in front of him with machine gun fire, Sly continued to evade the fighters pursuing him. Just to be safe, he slowed down a bit, with a chance of some of the fighters passing him and allowing him to take them down. By the time he exited the bomber squadron mass, he found to his luck that a couple of fighter blind sighted by the entire bomber squadron they had flown through were directly in front of him. With a new light and determination, Sly punched his engines to full again and shot after them. He hammered the closest fighter with machine gun fire, punching holes straight into the unknowing enemy. The pilot never knew what hit him when his plane exploded in a shower of debris. Sly flew straight through the smoke of fire and straight for the next fire beyond the clouds, turning a bit and locking onto the guy's tail. Firing off short bursts, Sly peppered the guy, nailing him bit by bit. With a longer burst that was carefully aimed and directed, he struck the guy in the tail, sawing it off and watching the guy spin down to earth with a smoke trail following him behind.

Unable to continue since fighters were upon him again, Sly took to the higher altitudes again, this time, heading towards the large Zeppelin in an effort to take on the Stuka bombers this time. He was also hoping to try and drawn Bentley and Murray's AA gun fire so that they could pick off the fighters on his tail. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Just as Sly was busily avoiding the fire from the Messerschmitt fighters, he suddenly heard a louder sound and a huge gust of wave. The sudden whoosh surprised him greatly and soon to follow that were several explosions behind him. Looking back, he saw that the fighters have stopped chasing him as they have been taken down by some sort of homing missile. Puzzled, Sly looked in front of him again and gasped, seeing five France jets soar past him, their engines on blasting their hot fumes straight at him. After they passed him, he laughed in amusement as they zoomed straight for the bomber squadron, their weapons activating and throwing the Heinkel bombers and the smaller Zeppelins into a gaulent. The good guys were finally here!

"I never thought that they'd get here so fast", Sly shouted. The reply he got was from his ear piece as Bentley made contact.

"_**I know Sly, I can't believe it. The French managed to respond to a call from one of their operatives in town and, frankly, this is a bit of a shock to me to. Head back to the van, lets get out of here before the French army shows up", **_Bentley shouted. Sly nodded and placed his finger to his ear, making his response.

"Roger Bentley, all fighters returning to base. Over and out!" With that settled Sly tinkered with the control panels of his plane a little bit and, taking to the skies, began to make his way back to the Cooper van and make a possible landing in the streets. Unfortunately, his victory wasn't too last as a certain major was just sighting him out.

* * *

Crouched low on top of a large, outer frame work of the top of the Zeppelin 270, Herr Major Von Talon, the commander of the Luftwaffe was seeking out the unit who had appeared out of nowhere. He was infuriated at the fact that the French air force had arrived and was even more furious that this lone biplane was able to take out a quarter of his bomber forces. This he could not stand for. Silhouetted against the burning skies as his bombers were shot down one after another by French Sparrow P31's, Herr Major Von Talon spotted his target in the sights of the weapon he held in his hand. Gripped between his fingers, the eagle held a Panzer Faust, a powerful disposable anti-air and tank rocket launcher similar to an RPG but far more effective. It was an old weapon but still usable.

Seeing the blue biplane approaching him from the skies above, he calculated the precise trajectory of his handheld rocket. When he saw the point where the biplane would end up, he prepared to fire. Letting out a low growl and narrowing his eyes down the length of the Panzer Faust, he gripped the trigger and handle, hard! With a massive whoosh of sparks and smoke, his anti-aircraft rocket fired with extreme force, sending its projectile straight for Sly's plane. Sly however became aware of a sudden beeping noise on his radar scanner and, seeing this, let out a yell. He then saw a red hot glowing rocket heading straight towards him from the Zeppelin below and immediately knew what it was. Having exited all range modes, he had no other choice but to exit his plane.

Leaping out of the cockpit, Sly made a dive for the Zeppelin 270, the biplane he had just left suddenly exploding. It sent its remains hurling everywhere in a ball of fire. Sly let out a yell when the force of the explosion hit him, but he managed to recover when he escaped its heat and lethal effects. Within moments, he was out of there but still falling. Having reached a suitable altitude away from his plane's explosive radius, Sly reached into his thief pouch and pulled out a plastic-fibered paraglider. The paraglider he had used months before opened up above him and, gripping hold of the device, he gently floated down to the Zeppelin far below. The blue and white colorings of his Cooper symbolic glider shone in the light of the sun as it helped him float down to earth to safety. It was when he was floating through the air did Sly suddenly spot something strange. A large metallic platform, what looked like an observation deck was set up on top of the Zeppelin, Nazi barrens hanging from it and a lone figure standing at the far end of it closest to the front of the giant airship. Narrowing his eyes down on the figure, Sly swung himself towards the platform and, with a great leap, plummeted towards the boards of the platform. The raccoon landed with style and skill atop of the platform, getting back onto his feet when he absorbed the force of the fall. His eyes narrowed down on the figure in front of him, his hand reaching up to remove the goggles from his eyes.

The figure in front of him was a giant, anthropomorphic eagle wearing a old German, WWI, spiked helmet that was black, a black Luftwaffe uniform with chains of bullets strapped around him, a black cape with red under layer, a Luger as his side arm and wore black talon straps. The eagle glared at him from his side of the airship, his eyes twitching and his face twisted in anger and disgust. However, upon seeing Sly stand up and set his eyes on him, the eagle relaxed and smiled more casually. "Ahh, the famous Sly Cooper, it seems that you and your little gang were able to sabotage my operation. But of course, you will be nothing without your friends and your plane, as you will find out soon enough", the Major spoke in a calm, very gentleman like voice befitting his age. Sly smirked and crossed his arms, his cane appearing in his hand when he drew it from behind him from his scabbard that held it when he had no use for it.

"I think you're taking it a little too far Major. You may have taken down my plane, but, like Major Fang, I'll take you down in turn. I'll make it even with you for the damage you caused the world", Sly said. Von Talon snorted and reached up, unbuttoning the cape from around his neck, with a gust of wind, the Major threw his cape into the sky, watching it blow away in the wind and disappearing beyond Sly's side of the blimp.

"The Third Reich is not an enemy of the world, the rest of the world is an enemy to itself. Here we Luftwaffe control the order in the skies and protect our people from annihilation. Without order, then can be no peace", major Von Talon exclaimed, placing his fists on his hips, his chest buffing out. For such an old guy, he looked quite tough. But what do you expect after exercising your wings for years in Siberia.

"But you only control the sky. But then again, that's what Goering said. 'He who controls the skies controls the war'. Then again, your cause has been nothing but trouble. You've murdered millions of innocent people and have stolen all that is good in this world. Your like poison, disgusting", Sly replied. The Major cocked an eyebrow but caught nothing of what Sly's language was suggesting to him. he swept it away, just like everything else.

"My, I'm surprised you know your history, and yet you hold a lot of faith in this world. The Third Reich wishes to make everybody equal like the Soviets. But we also plan to avenge our brothers in the war and the unfairness and hardships Germany has been put into. Think about it, a world without terrorism and slavery, a peaceful world at last. Do you see what we are trying to do? We're trying to convince others by showing what other world Governments do to those who fight instead of negotiate", Major Von Talon tried to convince. Sly wasn't buying any of it and pointed the hook end of his cane towards the giant Eagle.

"Sorry pal, no dice. You Nazi scum have already done your fair share of charity. Murdering millions of people, trying to take back what was 'rightfully' yours and pulling the world into turmoil, killing even more good people. Luftwaffe or not, you're bad news Von Talon, and I'm going to settle it", Sly said, dropping into a fighting stance and readying himself. Fighting against the wind was something, but facing against someone while fighting against the wind, this was insane.

"The Major sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. Very well, have it your way Cooper", The Major stated. With a swift hand, the Major drew his side arm and began blazing away at the raccoon, firing the 9mm Parabellum rounds at his target. Sly ducked the first shots and, against the wind and with quick reflexes, Sly began to run around the platform. He ran in the direction of the Major but continued evading the guy's fire. Von Talon backed off, continuously firing his pistol at his opponent with effort. His side arm thudded in his hand with each round he fired, only to have Sly duck and jump over every shot.

Flipping through the air, Sly sprinted straight towards his opponent when Von Talon needed to reload. Slipping in the new clip and pulling back the slide loading sequence, the Major aimed his gun at the raccoon again, only to have it knocked out of his hand. His pistol went skidding across the large platform, with the gun sliding and hitting the railings and stopping. The Major let out a growl and attempted to strike at his smaller target, only to get rammed in the got with the tip of Sly's cane. After that, Sly spun around and sent a well placed, backswing side kick into the Major's chest. Von Talon was sent hurling across the platform until he hit the railings, sliding down it and coming to a crumpled heap on the ground. Sly was surprised at how easy that was, but when he saw the Major stagger to his feet, he figured it would take more then a simple kick. This would require combination.

Herr Major Von Talon chuckled and brushed his outfit down, looking back up at his opponent with a grin. "Well, I'm certainly impressed. Good reflexes and strength to boot. But it will take more then that to beat me boy. I'll have you know that I'm the best Whirlwind feather duster you'll see here, and I'll be showing you no mercy", the Major exclaimed, clenching his fists at his sides and spreading his talon feet to shoulder width apart. Sly chuckled, dropping into another stance. He had the guy cornered; there was no way the Major could win.

"Whirlwind feather duster, what kind of lame fighting style is that, chimney sweeping", asked Sly in amusement. This was becoming an amusing show down.

Von Talon smirked. "No, quite the opposite", he whispered. Throwing his hands out to his sides, there was a sudden click and flash. In a strange slicing sound, three, jagged, identical blades appeared out from behind his wings. These three blades were as long as Katana blades and spread out like propeller blades. They were menacing in perspective and looked really dangerous, especially on the arms of a Nazi. Von Talon smirked and, clenching his fists, held up his arm swords. The swirling swords acted like extensions for his fingers but weren't finger razors. These blades were feather blades, lethal weapons used by the very best of sword playing fighters of the far East. Sly's eyes widened when he saw these and Von Talon chuckled. "It's a person sweeping style. More to the point, a type of sword wielding technique…"

Sly gulped. "OK, now this I wasn't expecting", he said. With a growl, Von Talon took a fighting stance, one arm held forward and the other held behind him, his blades twirling a bit where he led them and making strange, gear grinding sounds. The eagle hissed venomously, making Sly back off a bit on second thoughts.

"On guard!" Von Talon shouted. Sly, not wanting to back down now, took up all the courage he could and dropped into a fighting stance of his own. With his cane in hand and the skill of the many ancestors rushing through his veins, he knew that he could win. He had fought greater villains before, he was sure he could handle a single nut case.

With simultaneous yells, the two charged at each other, Sly bearing his cane in attack and Von Talon stretching out his feather blades. When they reached each other, they locked blades in a powerful engagement. Von Talon struck out first, throwing a hook with his right hand and attempting to slice his opponent's head off. Sly raised his cane in time to block the blow and in turn punched at the eagle with his right. This sent the guy staggering back and allowing the chance to attack. He slashed out with side swipes, but missed with both the fore slice and the forward slice. Von Talon recovered quickly enough and, pulling back his left arm threw it forward in a upward slash, making Sly back off. He came back round with a right punch, forcing Sly to block it. Sly managed to parry it out of the way and back up more to avoid his next attack. Pulling his left arm back in a hook strike, Major Von Talon's blades began to spin like chopper blades rapidly, his attacks becoming more fierce. He struck out at Sly, being met with attacks from the raccoon when Sly attacked in return. Both attacks were neutralized as they continued to exchange blows that would have already downed an ordinary person.

Sounds of blades connection with each other echoed all around with both Sly and Von Talon exchanging lethal blow after blow. Their attacks connected with either a parry, another attack, with nothing or with a block, neither opponent gaining ground or leaving any. They both backed off and approached, either defending or attacking. Major Von Talon ruthlessly placed slash attacks on his opponent when his three swords formed talon like claws like wolverine's claws but were far stronger and more deadly. His attacks however connected with the air when Sly bent away and avoided them, leaping back when Von Talon aimed for him with a overshot punch. His blades dug into the platform but were pulled back out, allowing him to strike with a left body shot hook. Sly knocked that one out of the way and jabbed out with the hook end of his cane. Von Talon leapt back at this and, raising both arms, allowed his blades to spin again, making power saw sounds in their wake. Sly in turn leapt in the air and chopped down at Von Talon's head, connecting with one of the swirling blades that neutralized the force of his attack and knocked it out of the way. When Sly landed in a crouched positioned, he swiped out at Von Talon's feet with his cane, only meeting the swirling blades again before pulling his cane back and striking out with a straight, catching the swirling blades with his hook end of the cane.

Both Sly and Von Talon stood or crouched locked in that position. Their weapons crossed and serious, anger filled looks gazed directly at each other. Their bodies trembled as they held their positions, attempting to over power the other. But it was not to last when both combatants pulled their weapons out of that cross over and began to attack each other again. Pulling back his cane, Sly charged up a strike, blue electricity and energy crackling around his cane. With the significant amount of energy gathered, he struck outwards, spinning on the spot with a swirl strike, his cane whizzing through the air in the from of a blur with him acting as a spin top. Von Talon, surprised at this held up his blades for guard, Sly's attack colliding with his defense and forcing him back. Von Talon was worried that Sly would knock him over the edge but when he saw Sly stop, he returned to the ground and retaliated. Sly held up his guard in time to meet a chop slash made by the eagle, his cane held up with both hands above his head to block this dangerous strike. Von Talon kept on applying more weight and pressure on Sly's cane, attempting to split it in half. However, he found to his shock that he couldn't. In a rage, he ended this tug of war nonsense and kicked out at Sly, knocking him back. Sly had the wind knocked out of him when he was sent flying back and skidding across the platform. When he skidded to a stop, he sat back up and, seeing Von Talon running towards him, leapt to his feet and returned. Holding his cane forward, they both charged at each other, Sly attacking out first before Von Talon could.

The Major managed to block the hook slice coming in to his left by holding up his arm in defense. However he got quite a bit of a shock when he was suddenly punched in the face when Sly came up with a left jab. The punch knocked Von Talon back staggering and senseless. Sly used this opportunity to his advantage and, with a great yell, sent a front kick into Von Talon's stomach; the blow managed the keel the expert fighter, the eagle crossing his arms over his stomach to ease the pain. Von Talon coughed up spit from that blow and looked up in surprise. He saw Sly standing in front of him, arms at his sides and cane still in hand, glaring down at him. Wondering why Sly wasn't attacking, Von Talon let out a growl and brought his blades to bear, striking out at Sly with tremendous slash attacks. Sly backed off and ducked the attacks, avoiding them as best he could. When Von Talon came in with a jab, Sly managed to knock his blades out of the way and, when Von Talon suddenly lost balance, Sly cane in with a backhanded strike with his cane across Von Talon's face before sending a left hook across the eagle's face. Von talon staggered back in surprise and before he could make any other move, Sly slipped his cane underneath his foot and pulled, tripping the eagle and making him fall to his knees. Now at his height, Sly grabbed Von Talon's head and pulled it down, ramming his forehead into his knee a couple of times. When he pulled back Von Talon's head, it was all bruised and bleeding and the eagle was panting hard. With a smirk, Sly released his head, watching Von Talon sway where he was. In his daze, Von Talon did not know what was coming to him next. A split second later, Sly sent a left hook right across his face. It was basic but strong, managing to knock the guy out instantaneously.

Von Talon's body fell to platform surface with a loud thud, the guy knocked into unconsciousness. The Major's swords retracted back into their holders and into safety mode, his limbs falling limp. When Sly saw that his attacks were successful, he smiled and dusted himself down, his cane flung over his shoulder. Looking down with pity at the old bird, Sly shrugged. "Guess he should have kept his guard up. Perhaps Interpol can send him to a nice retirement home next to an insane asylum. Maybe Siberia would find that they're missing a prisoner when this is all over…"

* * *

_**Sly's diary entry…**_

"_it took some doing, but I eventually managed to get off the Zeppelin with Von Talon's unconscious body. It was a fierce fight, but it ended soon enough with the entire Luftwaffe air force destroyed. Only a few bombers and fighters survived to fight another day. With the skies clear above Germany, I could finally rest easy again."_

"_With the French army's arrival, it took a lot of doing for the gang to slip out of the defensive perimeter but we got out with a few scrapes. Herr Major Von Talon got what was coming to him. Leaving him tied to a pole, Interpol eventually got their hands on him when Carmelita arrived. She found to her surprise a rather heart warming note lying behind the Major where he was tied. I could just see the look on her face when she read my calling card. Needless to say, I was becoming more fond of the vixen every step of the way. I hope she writes back."_

"_Anyway, with the Luftwaffe out of commotion, the skies were safe, air traffic able to make their way on course without worry. Major Von Talon got 20 years behind bars before he would be taken to a retirement castle. I guess the old guy got fed up with his pursuit of power and wealth. Me and the boys well, we took some time off in on the French coast, working on our tans and getting a bit of relaxation in. But then, once we became aware of the slowly growing situation involving the 'Eagles talons SS Gestapo Legion', we knew we had to find our way back into action soon enough."_

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

Sorry for the late update, i had a lot of stuff going on. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 5

_**Krack-Karov Volcano – Russia**_

Inside the mighty industry that had been recreated by the rejuvenated Nazi Party, a large operation was right now being undertaken. Having left the excavation sight not long ago, Herr Colonel Kennel stood close to the railings of one of the many walkways used for access to the exits and entrances by the SS. He was here for a very good reason. Hours before, the diggers and working soldiers have uncovered the first pieces of Clockwerk and, after a few more hours of digging, finally excavated the entire, battered frame of the original, mechanized owl. With most of the frame recovered, the Clockwerk skeleton was taken to the main labs underground where, scientists were mining the tough iron they needed from the volcano and were making exact replica pieces of Clockwerk using the stolen blue prints from the museum in Cairo. With these, they would be able to rebuild Clockwerk, stronger then ever.

The working house they had set up shop in was massive; the walls supported by steel walls and strong support pillars. The entire place was heavily guarded by SS soldiers and riot guards, all of them dressed in black, white with steel helmets and armed with Stg 44's and Kar98K rifles. At the moment, the top scientists and engineers 'hired' by Colonel Kennel were working round the clock to recreate Clockwerk and rebuild his body parts. Having taken samples of the original frame, they were able to duplicate its elemental source and, with the proper instructions, worked away at the Clockwerk frame. Complex gear systems were enhanced with advanced electronic equipment never seen before in the world outside. Not only did this new Nazi party come equipped with old weaponry but used other highly advanced technological pieces to aid them in their schemes of world domination. The industry now being used was fitted with cranes for heavy lifting, chains that held the Clockwerk frame in place, furnaces that helped create the iron needed to make the pieces of Clockwerk and computers that monitored the construction of the massive bird.

Scientists dressed in white lab coats rushed about frantically, looking over various electronic pieces they were going to use in the Clockwerk body and over the blue print charts on their computers. They compared every piece with the original pieces in the blue prints or the dug up frame and fitted each piece together. The engineers helped fit the pieces in place, screwing in many of the parts or welding pieces together. All of them wore protective gear and were dressed in mechanic's clothing. The scientists and engineers were mere breeds of anthropomorphic dogs and birds who were experts at pioneer aviation and enhanced in the ways of flight. Sparks flew as they continued to work under the watchful eye of Herr Colonel Kennel. Having a homicidal, killer dog breathing down your neck tended to give a soldier an incentive to hurry. The white furred German shepherd, dressed in his full uniform with officers cap, cane, knife, holstered Luger and cape, he made a real good impression among the men.

He could see the Clockwerk frame coming together quickly. Already the entire head, body and tail had been assembled but were still opened p to allow inside, primary pieces to be fitted in. Right now, the wings and talons were being assembled with Clockwerk's internal organs also being constructed. With his eyes glaring, with fire to be seen, down into the practical lab, he watched the progress of his men closely. He was soon enough interrupted from his day dreaming by a familiar figure coming up behind him. The towering form of his third in command, Captain Scar-Sting made its appearance. The German Pinscher, though as tough and as powerful as he looked, was still as nervous as hell when around his boss. The Colonel, sensing the Captains approach glanced over his shoulder at the shock trooper. "Vhat is it Captain?" the Colonel asked fiercely in his usual, angered voice

The Captain gazed down at him. "I am sorry if I disturbed you or anything Colonel but, I have most distressing news", he massive officer replied. The Colonel's eyes flashed and narrowed down on Scar-Sting more hotly. He turned a little more so to get a better look, his hands tightening into fists. He was prepared to be enraged at the answer to follow.

"Vhat is it then? Spill it", he growled, rising his voice a little. The Captain gulped at this, beads of sweat seen dotting his forehead underneath his helmet. Keeping his place just behind the Colonel, Captain Scar-Sting continued on with his report.

"Major Von Talon's entire Luftwaffe air force was intercepted by a squadron of French jet fighters above the city of Remagen and were all destroyed. Only a few of our fighters and bombers made it back. I'm afraid the blitzkrieg assault on France was a failure Herr Colonel. Major Von Talon is gone", the Captain reported. The Colonel really was now infuriated. With a loud growl he spun around and shot a death glare at the Captain behind him, the giant figure stepping back in shock and surprise. The Colonel's teeth were bared menacingly and his fists were held tightly at his sides. His grip tightened around his cane and made a sort of creaking noise under the pressure. The leader of the SS was burning with frustration and hatred now.

"NIEN!! That is impossible! Major Von Talon's forces vere fine just hours ago!" the Colonel practically screamed. Silence sort of fell among the soldier workers down below when they heard the Colonel's scream. However, not wanting to be the receiving end of the Colonel's blunt rage, they set to work again as quickly s they had stopped, sound returning to the atmosphere. This left the Captain safe from the awkward situation that usually followed. But how could he feel awkward when he had a flaring, powerful Colonel screaming at him that could kill him without any regret or mercy.

The Colonel let out another infuriated growl and turned back towards the men working away at the Clockwerk project. If you were to look even closer, you could swear steam was issuing off of the Major's head. "Is there anything else you have to report", the Major hissed in a low, threatening voice that promised intense pain to anyone who defied him. The Captain shook in his boots when he heard his commanding officer growl that question and in turn, cleared his throat so to say this clearly.

"Well uhh, Herr Colonel, intelligence reports that an army of the French Foreign Legion has assembled not too far from Moscow and are making their way over here supported by armor and infantry", the Captain said, worried at how Kennel would react to this new information. However, to his utter surprise, the Colonel remained silent. A rather tens mood had fallen between them as the Colonel stared down at the science labs below and the Captain awaited the Colonel's reply. Under these circumstances, someone would raise a question about this strange turn of events but no one dared to speak. It was only when the Colonel looked over at the Captain again, a rather edgy expression imprinted on his scarred face. The Colonel scowled.

"Really", he hissed. The Captain nodded at this, to which the Colonel looked at the walkway in though. The Captain thought that his commanding officer was repressing some sort of anger but on the contrary, the Colonel was worried. In his mind the Colonel was experiencing many visions and images of what was to come of this. If an army with a strength far greater then there own were to breach the walls of this volcano then the entire operation was a failure. Unless they did something to hold off this attack then maybe they might just stand a chance. These fortress walls were off course hard to breach but it didn't mean it was impenetrable. Until Clockwerk was fully rebuilt and was operational the SS would have to find another way to protect this stronghold. Out of options and with only a small number of support units and divisions on stand by, the Colonel turned to the Captain and glared again, a little less intense this time.

"Who is in command of the French Foreign Legion I may ask", the Colonel asked. The Captain responded to this in kind, searching his pocket before pulling out a black and white photograph. He handed it to his Colonel before standing at attention, going on to describe who this person was.

"A probe operator took this photo while in Remagen when Major Von Talon was taken into custody. Intelligence reports that this cop of Interpol is in charge of the armies approaching our proximity. It is also clear that this is the same cop who was in charge of the assault initiated on Herr Major Fang and his forces in the Ardennes right after Sly Cooper made his appearance", the Captain explained. The Colonel got a good look of the picture in his hand. He was surprised none to say the least when he saw a picture of a rather attractive fox in the middle of the picture. He may not have been interested in her looks but he was definitely puzzled by some other facts. He rubbed his chin as his thoughts raged on in his mind.

"_Hmm, this cop has been at every scene where Sly Cooper was. This is definitely turning into an interesting mystery. Hang on…"_ The Major got a closer look at the picture. It showed that the fox, Carmelita, was holding onto a rather descriptive card. She had a smile and a blush on her face as she looked down at the card, which was kind of a big give away. After the Colonel looked at the card closely, he discovered to his shock that this card was painted and cut into the symbol of... _"Sly Cooper! He was there when Von Talon's air force was destroyed. If he left that for her, then that means those two are bonded a little in a romantic triangle of love and affection. Because they're on opposite sides of the law, it makes it hard for them to show how they truly feel. Never the less, I cannot allow Sly to achieve victory without making him suffer."_ A smirk crossed the Colonel's lips as he looked at the card. With his eyes still plastered on it, he gave his orders to his Captain.

"Have the 3rd Panzer army assembled and ready to stop the French Foreign Legion forces. Halt their advance outside of Kursk. If I am not mistaken, you vill find this cop there. More importantly, Sly Cooper vill be there too. Distract Sly Cooper, vhile I make a grab for that girl", the Colonel said. Captain Scar-Sting was surprised none to say the least at the Colonel's response merely nodded and saluted with the Heil Hitler salute.

"Yes Herr Colonel, right away", the Captain replied. With no further means of being here, the Captain turned on his heel and left, disappearing through a entrance way on the end of the walkway. While the Captain was leaving to carry out his orders, the Colonel, who had been left with the picture, drew his knife from his belt and twirled it in his fingers. A rather malicious look was spread across his face, his eyes flashing menacingly at the picture of the fox.

"Vatch out Sly Cooper, because this little dog has got claws", the Colonel hissed, gripping the knife firmly in his hand and plunged it into the photo of Carmelita, piercing it and ripping it in half.

* * *

_**Sly's diary entry…**_

"_If I am not mistaken of the situation so far we are closing in on our final objectives. Clearly we have underestimated this Herr Colonel Kennel. I expect he is still raising hell over in Russia. Of course, Russia was turning out to be our next destination. If reports on this guy were true, then he is getting closer and closer to reviving Clockwerk. The gang and I had recently discovered that Herr Colonel Kennel had made finding the original frame of Clockwerk his main priority. That story was two chapters too much but a few days later as soon s we arrived in Russia, we found that Herr Colonel Kennel was seriously taking it to the limit."_

"_Just hours ago Bentley intercepted a message from Interpol, France. It said that Carmelita was to attack the Krack-Karov volcano. Supported by the French Foreign Legion and the 501'st Tank division, this seemed quite possible to succeed. But what Carmelita didn't know was that she was up against an entire force of the 'Eagles Talons SS Gestapo Legion'. The Krack-Karov volcano had been redesigned as a fortress for Kennel's purposes and it would take a lot for Carmelita to breach those walls. What was more horrifying was that Carmelita may not make it to the fortress alive. Bentley also found out over the SS radio transmission that Herr Colonel Kennel had ordered his third in command Hauptsturmführer/Captain Scar-Sting to take out Carmelita before she reached the volcano. Worse still, Captain Scar-Sting was given command of the entire 3rd Panzer army built under the Colonel's eyes. The division was separated to support the uprisings across Europe week ago but it was now reassembled to full strength, threatening for a full scale invasion on any country. But it also threatened the life of Carmelita. I could not let them take her out. We had to do something!"_

"_Looking up facts on this Scar-Sting character, we got a low down on our next villain. Captain Scar-Sting was once a respected military commander of the German army. He had joined the military so he could use heavy weapons that suited his persona. But even if he had all the tanks and weapons he wanted, there was never any action. Out of boredom and looking for excitement, he joined the recreated Nazi party, confronting Kennel himself. Scar-Sting had already achieved the rank of Captain back when he was in the regular military and was allowed to keep it. Any great leader needed a tank commander. Captain Scar-Sting was heavily built, as strong as Muggshot from what we heard, and was an expert tank commander. He rivaled even Field-Martial Rommel's skills back in WWII. This was not good on Carmelita's or my part. That guy has got to go."_

"_Reports have sighted both armies heading towards each other in the open fields of Kursk, where the legendary tank war, the Battle of Kursk, between Russian and German armies was fought before. The terrain was perfect for open tank warfare. Carmelita may outnumber the German forces three to one, but she had one thing going for her. The 3rd panzer army was heavily armed. They were built more like an armada then anything else. Though we weren't sure what they had in store for us, it was clear that the SS division was not in the mood for negotiations."_

"_Loading up the van, Bentley, Murray and I prepared for war…"_

* * *

_**Russia, Kursk**_

_**25 miles away from the Krack-Karov volcano**_

Endless valleys stretched miles on end from the River Volga all the way to Leningrad, providing the perfect wide, open spaces for tank warfare. The grass grew tall for infantry cover but the flat ground also provided the essential means of passage for the tanks. Mountains spread out over the horizon against the blue and white skies, creating a heavenly picture. But far beyond those mountains, fogged by dark clouds that sprayed thunder and lightning down upon the earth, was the Krack-Karov volcano. Carmelita, being present in the field was able to spot the volcano in the distance with her binoculars. The layout of the fields, valleys, and the grounds she and her army had to cover was also displayed in her view of the enemy lines. When they crossed this space, they would be in occupied territory, even though there were no signs of enemy units just yet.

The vixen growled lowly before lowering her binoculars, her eyes scrutinizing the area beyond her reach. The fox, dressed in her symbolic field uniform and armed with her shock pistol, sat on top of a M1 Abrams tank. This tank was used by American and UN forces in open battle fields and was primarily an assault vehicle. Its type was a main battle tank, which was quite a good title to give to such a powerful, armored vehicle. Behind her as well were hundreds of other tanks, accompanied by half tracks, armored cars, keeps and trucks. In the trucks and filling the rest of the vehicles were soldiers of the French Foreign Legion. Though their allegiance was not to the French army, they were hired specifically for this mission. They were of course a mercenary army. They answered the call to anyone who needed them most, especially if a conflict involving the entire world needed to be resolved. Armed with the best equipment money could buy, they stood at the ready.

Lieutenant Gronk, head of the primary mercenary army Carmelita had hired was also watching the horizon for the enemy, his goggles on to enhance his vision. Glancing over at the fox, he gave her a rather impatient and odd look as they continued to hold back their lines of troops just waiting to press themselves into heavy combat. "Inspector Fox, just what are we waiting for anyway, the sky to fall?" asked the ape, clearly unaware of what Carmelita was planning to do. Carmelita shook her head no in response to Lieutenant Gronk's question.

"No, we're waiting for the enemy to come to us. We lost contact with this region weeks ago, so there is a chance that the Germans know this vicinity as well as we do. Any direct assault on the volcano would be suicide. Our plan is to wait and see what we're up against. We're not going to get ambushed. I don't want to make the same mistake the Americans made when they marched into Nuenen under armed", Carmelita replied, her eyes continuously fixed on the wide open grounds in front of her. The Lieutenant grunted and looked back out onto the field, also watching the line incase any attacks made by the enemy.

Carmelita scowled hard, waiting in the awkward silence that prevailed. _"If the enemy is attempting to flank us then we're going to be in a lot of trouble. This Neo-SS army will not live beyond today."_

* * *

_**Northern Ridge…**_

Watching the entire area through a binocucom, Sly Cooper kept tabs on both the French Foreign Legion and wherever the German army was positioned. From inspections, Sly could see how much armor and infantry was supplied to Carmelita for this assault. Sly counted 40 M1 Abram tanks, 12 half tracks armed with AA guns, 12 more with AT guns, 30 trucks carrying troops, 15 jeeps and 20 more armored trucks with more troops and supplies. Even so, hundreds of more French Foreign troops hang back for support, armed with heavy machine guns, anti-tank rifles and other anti-tank weapons. If the German army was as equipped as they are, then this would be transforming into one hell of a battle.

Sly, lowering his binoculars sweated nervously at the sight. Carmelita was in the leading tank and would most likely be the first in front. If she wasn't careful, she would be the first to go. Sly was sitting in a 75 mm cannon set up on top of the Cooper van, the mighty cannon's primary purpose as an anti-tank gun. Murray and Bentley had taken the liberty for preparing it for this special occasion. Speaking of which, Murray and Bentley were sitting in the van, staring out onto the field with their own binocucom's. They were easily able to spot the French Foreign legion soldiers and forces as well as Carmelita. If she was here, then it would certainly give them some trouble.

Lowering his binocucom, Bentley looked to the back of the van. Through the support pillars and turning mechanisms of the turret overhead, Bentley sought out Sly and called out to him. Murray kept his eyes on the line. "Hey Sly, any sign of the 3rd Panzer army", asked Bentley. Sly, hearing this shook his head and lifted his binocucom back up to his eyes, looking Westerly wards.

"Sorry pal, I can't even see one German soldier. Are you sure that they are coming", asked Sly. Bentley shrugged and looked at the maps and blueprints laid out in front of him. All information he could and had gathered was all displayed in front of him. Though much of it didn't make sense, a lot of other unrelated topics did.

"These battlefield waiting's can go on for days Sly. Unless one side doesn't make a move then a truce would be called. But because we're dealing with mercenary soldiers of the French Foreign Legion who would fight to the death and an SS German Panzer division consisting of Neo-Gestapo soldiers, then we can expect both armies to charge each other down without mercy. I'm afraid this is going to be a real big battle. To even the odds, I say we should take down several of the German tanks before they throw in their artillery", Bentley suggested after his explanations. Sly shrugged and hummed to himself, looking over the hilly regions. Most of the landscape would provide a lot of cover for them if they were going to attack the German army. Waiting was becoming an edgy process.

"Well, if neither side will surrender then we may as well conclude the battle for them. The only way to stop the German assault is if we take out the leader. If we cut off the head then the body will die. By all means, this attack will have to be concentrated on Captain Scar-Sting. In any case, our primary goal is to take out Colonel Kennel but unfortunately he is not here. So, we're going to have to strike at each vital point before the entire body does die", Sly explained. Bentley rubbed his chin, raising both eyebrows at the same time. Indeed, that was a pretty impressive display of knowledge of the situation.

"Makes perfect sense to me Sly, but if you try to strike at the vital point then the limbs would attempt to block the strikes. There is a good chance that Scar-Sting would send in his pawns first. By out flanking any defensive assaults, we should be able to get you at him. The leader would always choose himself a powerful tank for him to use in battle. It would also be painted with identifying marks to distinguish himself from the rest of his armed forces so, do us a favor Sly, don't miss him. If all else fails, try and get close to him", Bentley instructed. Murray, having been distant from the conversation merely grumbled to himself in irritation. The only way to make him happy was either giving him a good lunch or sending him to fight overwhelming odds. His patience was being tested.

"Why don't you look at these facts guys: Captain Scar-Sting is built like a brick wall! Just like Muggshot! There is no way to tackle him head on", Murray exclaimed. Bentley stared at Murray for a moment but then turned back to the grassy valleys ahead of him. It was like being on safari.

"No one is unbeatable Murray, you know that", Bentley said. Sly nodded in agreement to this, having been listening to his friends' discussion.

"Yeah, and where there's a will, there's a wa…" Sly stops sharply in his sentence as he is looking over the Westerly ridges of hills. It is there where he spies dust hurling into the air. Loads of dust was being hurled into the air and the cause of this was unknown. Getting a better look as he was puzzled at this strange phenomenon, Sly is mortally shocked when he finds that the cause of the dust was, not from just one vehicle, but from an entire battalion of tanks approaching the hills. From the looks of it, there were hundreds of tanks heading towards the ridge, more then 30. Guess the Panzer army was bigger then he had expected it to be.

"Oh my…"

* * *

_**3rd Panzer army's position**_

Sitting in the hatch atop of the turret of the leading German tank, Captain Scar-Sting stared ahead of him towards the valleys where his unsuspecting enemy was lying in wait. A very sinister smile was plastered across his face and his hands were gripped at the sides of the hatch he was halfway sitting out of. His posture and expression was a sure signs of his overwhelming confidence of his military forces. Even today, the old German tanks used back in WWII were still powerful entities of war. How could he fail with this force?

Over the horizon, the Captain spied the five battalion's worth of French Foreign Legion troops lying in wait. They were all on the lookout for the enemy. Well, indeed the enemy was coming. But the amount of armor and weaponry they were carrying far exceeded there own. It was a sight that would make any soldier think twice before deciding what to do. Behind the Captain's tank were numbered to be a hundred armored vehicles! These ranged from powerful tanks, to the equally powerful half tracks to the lightning fast jeep wagons used by the Germans for quick assaults. They were primarily used in the middle or at the sides of Blitzkrieg assaults, but without any air cover, they could not initiate anything else but a well planned, full on strike against the enemy.

Just as the entire army was progressing towards the hills that just divided them from the valleys where the battle was planned for, the Captain raised a hand, ordering all tanks to stop. In turn, his tank ceased movement altogether, his engine quieting slightly. All tanks and vehicles following also slowed down before stopping in an orderly fashion behind the tank in front of them. Along all isles of tanks, the German troops waiting patiently watched and listened for their orders to attack. All of them were anxious to go into battle but were also nervous. This would have to be the first time all of them were pulled into a full scale war against another army. But, like their enemy counterparts, these SS soldiers were heavily armed. Finally they could be put to real use.

Captain Scar-Sting watched the front carefully through his binoculars, his eyes narrowing down on the horizon where the enemy was still waiting for them. A few seconds later, a jeep pulled up beside him, driven by a Corporal with the passengers sitting beside or behind him. There was another infantryman in the back seat beside two heavy machinegun crew members manning the MG42 and, the person they were primarily transporting to the front was sitting beside the driver, Herr Colonel Kennel. The German shepherd glared up at the Captain in question, his eyes twitching.

"Vell, vhat's the hold up", asked the Colonel. Scar-Sting glanced down at his superior officer and smiled. When it came to tank battles, the Captain ruled supreme and was not afraid to show his true self to even Kennel.

"The enemy is in sight and is waiting for us. Shall I dispense with the Inspector, or should I destroy her army", asked the Captain. Colonel Kennel glared hotly up at the Captain before looking back ahead of him. He took in a deep breath of air as he glared ahead of him.

"Destroy her army if you can, but distract them primarily. Remember, I vant her alive. Disable her tank and I'll handle the rest! Got it!" the Colonel growled in response. The Captain nodded and, pulling up the radio beneath him, contacted his tankers and crew. The officers and infantry behind him listened in on his orders.

"Listen up, I want Company A and B to follow me in and C company to circulate and outflank the enemy from the left and right flanks. Remember, leave the leading tank for me to handle. Enemy in the open, prepare to move. MOUNT UP!" the Captain shouted. There was a resounding cheer from the German infantry behind him. In simultaneous fashion, the tanks' engines roared to life and in a split second, prepared to press ahead. The Captain, sporting a smile placed the radio back in his compartment and nodded down to the Colonel who was looking up at the Captain in surprise. Scar-Sting smirked. "Don't worry Colonel, I will not fail you." The Colonel glared.

"You better not, because you know vhat I do vith people who do fail me", the Colonel replied. Tapping the driver, the Colonel ordered him to go round. The driver, complying with the Colonel's orders spun the wheel and turned the jeep to the side, away from the grouping tanks. With the Colonel gone, the Captain refocused his attention on the valleys ahead. Pulling his goggles over his eyes, the Captain waved his hand in the air before throwing it forward in directional form. With a shout, his tank rolled forward, followed by the rest of his army. As of now, the battle was on!

* * *

Carmelita gasped in shock when she saw column after column of tanks roll in over the hills a kilometer away, their tracks moving at their fastest and weapons bore in menacing fashion. The vixen, as well as the rest of the men under her command could hardly believe their eyes. They were gaping in awe and fear out towards the army approaching them. First they had been seeing nothing but an endless landscape of valley and hills. But now, all they could see was a slowly approaching valley of tanks. They could hear the rumbling of the enemy tanks approaching them as well as the ground trembling beneath their feet. Though, as old as these tanks were, they were still as powerful as they were back in WWII. If they didn't do something soon, they'd be crushed underneath the enemy's tracks. 

Lieutenant Gronk and Carmelita observed the formation of tanks approaching them as well as the armored units in support. They were using the standard approach in the field, a forward drive assault followed up by flanking maneuvers to the left and right. They were planning to encircle them but were also trying to fit them into a tiny space where breathing was impossible. In other words, if handled incorrectly, the French Foreign Legion would be choked. In anticipation to this incoming threat, soldiers lined up and in the trucks began loading their weapons, the sounds of clicking and cocking being heard in the air.

Carmelita took in the types of tanks her army was up against. There was a whole division of Panzer IV tanks, the primary tank used back in WWII by the German army. It was a powerful tank, armed with a 75 mm gun was able to penetrate most types of armor, including the T-34 tank that was designed to have a sloped hull that could deflect shell rounds. Other then the Panzer IV with the extra long barrel, there was also the snubbed barreled model. Though it wasn't designed for long range was devastating at close range and against infantry. There was also a number of StuG III armored wagons. Similar to tanks, this artillery enhanced vehicle was capable of launching heavy shells at targets miles away but was mostly effective in leading assaults against fortified areas. Other vehicles included back up half tracks armed with artillery cannons, Panzer artillery wagons, Panther tanks and, what Carmelita feared the most, Tigers. Mostly the backbone and back up forces for the feared Panzer divisions, these 52 ton monsters were armed with 88 mm cannons that could penetrate practically all types of armor. Their armor was 180 mm thick and could repel even short range missile attacks. To make matters worse, the primary weak point of a Tiger was its ass. You have to hit it point black, and you have to hit it from behind for a tank shell to penetrate its rear armor and hit its engine. The sight of these tanks, though chilling enough as it is, only made matters worse when Carmelita spotted the upgraded models. The King Tiger tank, far more powerful and faster then the original Tiger was a living monster. No one dared to approach this tank as the very few steps towards it would indeed be the last they'd ever make. Armed with a Flak 88 mm gun and enhanced with sloped armor, a single King Tiger could reduce a battalion of five tanks to scrap metal. This was not looking good.

Carmelita bit her lip when she counted 15 King Tigers and 20 Tiger tanks, all of them rolling towards them supported by hundreds of other tanks. From what Carmelita counted, their odds of winning were 1 in 2,000,000 to be precise. "Shit…Tigers…Tigers", Carmelita growled, throwing her binoculars away. Lieutenant Gronk also had the same fearful expression written on his face and looked up at the Carmelita for orders.

"What now Inspector?" he asked. The fox growled and hopped into the hatch of her tank. Slapping the top of the turret, she shouted her orders.

"Get your tanks moving, we can't sit here. If we stay bunched up we'll be surrounded. Spread your men out and give them all you've got. Concentrate on the support tanks then go for the Tigers if you manage to get around them", Carmelita shouted, pointing towards the enemy. "MOVE!!" With those orders given, she hopped into her tank which fired up its engines and began to rush forward, hurling dust into the air.

* * *

_**Cooper van**_

Sly cursed and loaded the 75 mm cannon on top of his van. The sight of the tank battalions of the enemy was one thing he was shocked about. The other thing was that this army was also armed with Tigers and Carmelita was heading straight for them. At the sight of this, Sly began rushing into action, loading the gun and preparing for battle. Bentley and Murray also got around to preparing themselves. Buckling their seat belts the pair fastened themselves for what would be the most suicidal thing they have ever done. But being armed didn't mean they would stand much of a chance. The important thing they had to worry about was whether Bentley's tacticians were effective enough, Sly's aim with the anti-tank gun was good and if Murray's driving was adept enough for this.

"Tigers! Where the hell did they come from", Murray shouted in shock. Bentley growled and pulled out his maps, drawing up detailed points of the enemy's assault. Any of these key points would make ideal attack position but would also mean they would be putting themselves at great risk. Hurriedly, Bentley made the best battle plan he could think of on short notice.

"I don't know, but I'm not waiting to find out myself. Get that cannon running Sly", Bentley shouted desperately. Sly grumbled as he cranked the turret around. A second later he felt a lurch as the van was thrown forward. Murray had stepped on the pedal just as Sly had prepped the ammunition chamber. With his eyes gazing through the sights, Sly watched the closest tanks in his sights.

"Right! Murray, fall back a bit and approach slowly. We don't want to get caught up in their line of fire. I'll take out as many tanks as I can!" Sly shouted. Bentley looked up towards the turret, his glasses foggy from, heat of sweat and flashing with battle readiness.

"Sly! Try aiming for Captain Scar-Sting's tank; it's the only one you should be targeting. Draw him out into the open and take him down!" Bentley practically screamed as Murray's van bounded into the open. Speeding out into the middle of the field, Murray risked his life, his friends and the sake of the van, just so to ensure the success of this mission. With sweat pouring down his head, he watched both sides of the playing board for the danger that awaits them. Sly, having heard Bentley shout over the noise nodded. Bouncing in the seat of the turret, Sly made sure to sight his gun perfectly on the tank that held Captain Scar-Sting.

The good old Captain was riding in the compartment of a Tiger I, the famous of them all. It would take some doing, but if he managed to hit that thing a few times then he should be able to bring it down and fight the Captain himself. Sly's determination and need to protect Carmelita raging on.

"No problem, just give me some time, It'll take 12 shots to take this thing down, even less if I aim this thing correctly", Sly shouted. There was a mighty clash of metal against metal and a loud bang. Sly felt the huge lurch of recoil vibrate throughout his entire body and after that, the empty shell flinging out of the chamber.

* * *

Captain Scar-Sting felt a tremendous lurch as his tank was flung about when it was struck by something hard and powerful. Seconds later, he heard an explosion, a boom of the sound of a heavy gun going off. Then again, moments after getting hit by whatever that is that shot at him he heard more loud bangs as tanks from both sides began bombarding each other as they approached. Gun fire from heavy machine guns, machine guns and rifles broke out as well, accompanying the heavy cannon fire. Still, the Captain was wondering what the hell hit him and began looking around for the source of the first gun to go off. He found it due North towards one of the ridges. Out of place of the entire area, a blue van with a large artillery battery on top of it was making its way down the hill and onto the battlefield. As crazy as it was, it was still heading onto the valley. 

Seeing this, Captain Scar-Sting pulled out his binoculars and took a closer look at the suspicious van. He scrutinized his gaze on the van and found to his astonishment that it was a van baring the Cooper gang symbol and colors. Immediately the Captain knew who it was and growled in frustration. Lowering his binoculars, his twitching eyes were revealed. With the noise of war echoing in the background, he was still able to think clearly, much to his amazement. "Sly Cooper…just like Kennel said…"

Another loud bang sounded and the Captain drew his attention back to the enemy army heading towards them. Scowling, the Captain raised his binoculars. He tried to keep it steady where he held it as he counted the numbers of tanks heading towards him. Through this, he was able to spot out his primary target, Carmelita's tank. The fox was sitting up out of the hatch like he was, manning the heavy machine gun and firing at the enemy tanks in front of her but completely missing him. Scar-Sting grumbled lowly and lowered his binoculars. He had to even these odds and pack it in his favor. He could easily kill Cooper now but did not want to anger his leader. On the other hand, he had orders to fulfill. One direct hit should do it.

Looking down the hatch he screamed an order at his gunner, slapping the top of the hatch. H received the desired reply he had wanted to hear. The cranking of the turret was heard and a second later, there was a violent shock wave and a loud bang. A eight pound shell was sent hurling through the air straight for Carmelita's tank. Taking a closer look through his binoculars, the Captain watched Carmelita's tank closely and moments later, there was a explosion on its back as the M1 Abrams tank's engine was severely crippled, and from that range as well. Flames burst into the air and dust hurled to accompany it, much to the Captains satisfaction. The Inspector was still alive, for now.

Just as he was watching the Inspector scramble out of her smoking tank, the Captain suddenly felt another heavy lurch and a burst of shrapnel. He yelped in shock when the side of his Tiger was once again struck by an unexpected shell. Glancing back over at the van, he had noticed that Slt Cooper had drawn closer, its cannon smoking from firing its second round. This angered the Captain greatly and, unable to wait any longer, punched his tank into battle. He sunk into the gunner compartment and shut the hatch, preparing to face off against his new time foe. That raccoon had done enough damage for the day.

* * *

Carmelita emerged smoking and coughing from her M1 tank. The fox fell to her knees and arms on the grassy grounds of Kursk, spluttering spit and shutting her eyes. She had only just entered the battle and already her tank was struck by a Tiger shell and disabled. Though the turret only suffered minor damage, her entire tank was filling up with smoke. After stumbling off of her tank the vixen was reduced to a helpless infantry man…uhh…woman in this case. But whatever she could do now was pointless except give out orders for the assault. Looking up, the vixen watched her tank roll into battle and the infantry charge onto the field to meet the German infantry also sprinting towards them. Over on the German side, Carmelita watched the Tigers progress and, under the cover of artillery, saw three Panzer IV tanks burst into flames as well as artillery wagons halt in their tracks to fire at them. 

Hearing a shell go off not far from her place, the vixen got to her feet and staggered back for cover at her M1 Abrams, leaning against it for support and taking in deep breaths of air. The shock of the explosion was still ringing in her ears. Regaining her bearings as quickly as possible, she looked back out onto the field to watch the rest of the show. Suddenly, a glimmer of light caught her eyes and she looked slowly out towards the North. That flicker was nothing from any of her armor, but it definitely came from something.

To her utter shock and internal delight, Carmelita spotted the familiar form of the Cooper gang's van rolling out onto the field. On top of the van Carmelita spotted a anti tank gun. She identified it to be a 75mm anti-tank cannon: a real effective weapon against Panzers. To top it off, at the controls of this wonderful artillery piece was none other then the well known master thief Sly Cooper. The raccoon was furiously working away at the gun and was pounding the Germans mercilessly with the heavy weapon. As crazy as it was, Carmelita was grateful at seeing him again. Whenever he showed up, weird and unexplainable things happened but still, Sly always emerged out on top. If he was successful and damn right he will be, he would defeat whoever was in charge of this Panzer army and save them all. Well, at least he will offer some support but it was better then nothing.

Carmelita smiled at the sight of Sly, her eyes twinkling as she watched the van spin out directly in the path of the enemy army. The van wheeled towards them with Sly spinning the gun so it pointed at the rear. He fired off another heavy round, this echoing all around and dwarfing the fire from her armed forces. The vixen sighed and watched the fight closely. Though she didn't know who Sly was aiming for in particular, but it was clear that he was trying something that would help them.

Suddenly, Carmelita felt a real heavy weight strike the back of her neck and she fell into a heavy blackness. Falling to the ground, Carmelita's body lay motionless in an unconscious state and a second later, her body was picked up and flung over a complete stranger's shoulder. It turned out to be a horrible twist of fate when the figure turned out to be Colonel Kennel. The German shepherd glared out onto the armies engaging each other in the death defying battle against each other. The sound of gun fire and explosions was heard, and the sight before him was an amazing one. But ignoring that, the Colonel turned around and walked back over to the jeep parked beside the M1 Abrams. Amazingly enough, the German had managed to drive the car around so that it by passed all enemy units, more incredibly out of sight. Throwing Carmelita's body into the back of the jeep, the Colonel jumped in and, with a shout, the driver and his support crew took off back the way they came. Next stop: Krack-Karov volcano.

This was not going to be good…

* * *

"Sly! Stay on your guard and shoot that Tiger, we're coming round on it!" Bentley shouted, feeling the van swerve to avoid a M1 Abrams rolling past. Coming round and out from behind the massive tank, the Cooper van sped on. Sly continuously cranked the artillery battery on the top of the van so that he could get a clear shot at the Tiger. Scar-Sting was a fair distance away and Sly was doing his best to land direct hits on it. There was a boom and a lud whoosh as Scar Sting's tank opened fire on them, a heavy shell barely missing the van and striking the grounds far beyond its supposed target. 

With a yell, Sly pulled the firing lever. The artillery piece went off with a bang, launching its heavy shell at its target. The Tiger tank was struck on the side, denting its armor with the shell bursting into flames, sending shrapnel everywhere. This show down between the Tiger tank and the van continued on with the many other German tanks and French vehicles engaging each other in a similar bout to try and over power the other. As the van changed course, wheeling back to go back in the opposite direction they had came from but to also approach the tank from a distance, there was a massive explosion and trembling shock wave. Turning to see what had happened; Sly witnessed the destruction of a King Tiger tank. The German armored vehicle had been hit full on by a flame thrower gaulent from one of the infantry crews. The tank now stood burning proudly where it was, its alloy blackening from the raging fire on board. The crew was nowhere to be seen.

Twisting the crank so that the turret turned, Sly made sure that he got a clear shot at his target. He was interrupted however when a StuG III wagon rolled in the path of his target. Sly fired nevertheless, his 75 mm cannon sending its shell directly at the German armor. With a might bang, a hole was pierced straight through the side of the German tank wagon, the entire vehicle rupturing on the inside out. Fire burst out from the hole created before suddenly bursting outwards. The entire tank stopped in its tracks, smoking from the fire inside it. Though a minor miss, Sly reloaded the cannon, shoving another heavy shell into the chamber. Suddenly, out from behind the tank Sly had hit, the Tiger tank that Scar-Sting was driving emerged, its cannon aimed towards the van. Sly freaked when he saw the tank, so did Murray and Bentley. When they saw the Tiger narrow its gun down on them, Bentley wheeled around, avoiding the shot to follow. There was another loud bang and a whooshing sound. With red heat and a mighty, earth trembling shock wave, the shell struck the earth where Sly's van once had been.

Wheeling the turret around so that the crosshairs lined up with the Tiger, Sly sharply pulled the lever. The firing pin of the massive artillery piece struck the shell and set it off like a match to a petrol pump. There was a sharp recoil and a loud bang when the massive cannon launched its next round. The shell struck the Tiger in the turret, knocking it almost off of its host and creating a massive, smoking dent in it. No explosion followed that just a hell of a lot of sparks flew. Sly cursed at himself when he saw the tank still rolling, the turret turning so that it aimed at him. Scar-Sting was really persistent. A pillar of flames rose into the air when a German artillery wagon was struck by a 120 mm shell fired by a M1 Abrams. The German tracked vehicle exploded in its own fuel puddle.

Murray suddenly made a sharp turn to the left just to avoid a couple of French Foreign Legion soldiers coming out from behind a smoking truck. The troops, armed with their Lebel rifles opened fire on a couple of German infantrymen charging at them. Murray, of course, showing no affection for SS scum drove his van right into the German's, running them over and grinding them beneath his tires. Screams were heard before there was nothing. Bentley found the run down quite disgusting for his taste while Sly, oblivious to hat had just happened, kept his eye on the ball. With his next shell loaded, Sly aimed down the Tiger tank that was still in hot pursuit. But that was hardly impossible since the tank's top speed was 50 miles per hour. Its turret was still in effective range though.

Seeing the tank marked in his sights, Sly let off another heavy artillery round. The loud bang and echo sounded as the shell was sent hurling through the air. This time, it struck the left side of the tank directly in the armored cross, the symbol of the German army. Fire burst outwards when the tank received the shell and a massive dent was formed. Smoke began to rise from the rear of the tank, the vehicle slowing down but the tracks and turret still rolling. The tank began to turn towards the van, its heavy machine gun blazing away at the infantry. Sly let out a growl and turned to Bentley direction as he loaded the next shell.

"Bentley! I can't inflict any major damage on that bloody thing! You have to get me around it! I need to hit it from behind", Sly shouted. Bentley nodded and nudged Murray who was carefully not trying to tip the van over.

"Murray, move the van and go around that tank. Careful you don't hit any of the half tracks", Bentley shouted. Murray nodded and with a loud growl, turned the vehicle towards the tank. Hitting the accelerator, his van sped across the valley, faster then any tank ever could. Sly made sure to keep the Tiger locked in his sights. Murray swerved to the right slightly when he avoided a German halftrack rolling right at them. The German vehicle suffered major damage when a bazooka shell, fired by one of the French Foreign Legion soldiers was sent straight at it. The armored vehicle caught it and burst into flames, the soldiers in the back scrambling out of it. The Cooper van sped on, taking any miss fires from any nearby infantrymen from both sides. The thick walls of the outer van kept the occupants safe.

Wheeling the van back to the left, Murray headed round the Tiger, outflanking it. The turret of the massive machine wheeled towards them, its 88mm gun trying to keep up with them. There was another explosion far off as another German Tiger tank was sent into oblivion by a halftrack artillery piece fired at it. More tanks were exploding all around them and with the distraction the Cooper van provided spared many French Foreign Legion troops. But the battle was not won yet!

Sly and Scar-Sting glared each other down through the sights of their heavy turrets. Their different chambered cannons locked onto each other as they approached. The Tiger Scar-Sting was driving had stopped momentarily, just so the turret could have full power from the engine to wheel it around. Sly on the other hand was forced to endure bumps and violent shakes as the van sped along, keeping ahead of the tank's gun. Speed against strength always won. When the two vehicles were in sight of each other and the minimum effective range was in place, the two fighters opening fire. The Tiger was the first to fire, its heavy shell flying straight for the van! It missed, its shell striking another German Tiger beyond the van. That tank burst into flames, a shower of its outer hull being sent everywhere. At least the Tiger was effective on itself.

There was another loud bang as Sly fired his last, effective shell. The 75mm projectile struck the Tiger tank right in the back where the exhaust exited and the engines was most vulnerable. The shell pierced the exhaust system and destroyed the internal gears that pumped diesel into the engine. The back of the tank went off with a bang, flames hurling into the air and the turret shutting down completely. Smoke blinded view of whatever was left of the tank. To Sly, the defeat of that mighty monster made him grin. Emptying the artillery piece, Sly stepped off of the van and fell to the floor while the van was still moving. The raccoon drew his cane and turned, watching his friends speed off. Making contact, Sly placed his finger to his ear to his com piece and connected with Bentley.

"I'll see you guys at the end of this battle. Pick me up at the rendezvous point", Sly shouted. Bentley, hearing Sly communicate through to him nodded and replied in earnest.

"_**Right! Good luck buddy, and keep on your toes. Remember, Scar-Sting is the least of your troubles, you still have a lot of heat going off around you!"**_ Bentley yelled. Sly smirked and disconnected his link with the turtle. Gripping his cane firmly in his hand, Sly walked towards the smoking tank. He was unfazed as shells and guns continued to go off all around him. German tanks burst into flames and French Foreign infantry was mowed down by machine gun fire. It was one hell of a battle.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine…"

Stopping not to far from the smoking tank, Sly watched as the top hatch opened and, popping out of it was a enormous German Pinscher Sly figured was Scar-Sting. The wrecked officer stumbled out of the tank and fell to the ground, coughing and spluttering. Dusting himself down, the giant dog shook his head and looked up, cracking his back. With a loud growl, he turned to his left. As expected, he spotted the familiar raccoon the SS was bound to hate. Scar-Sting's eyes locked with Sly Cooper's eyes and the two stared each other down. Sly smirked and crossed his arms, his cane still in hand and a smug look on his face. Captain Scar-Sting however was not as smug as he was supposed to be and stomped towards what he considered to be a rat.

"Sly Cooper! You pest! You ruined my tank and destroyed my forces!" the commander yelled, throwing his arms out and stopping a few meters away from Sly. His eyes narrowed down on the raccoon, rage easily seen burning in them. Sly took it that the Nazi's weren't really that friendly. He was always making people angry these days, he just didn't know why.

Sly chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry if I'm just a bug problem to you but I just want you to know that, I'm sick of this. Your time ends now Captain! I will not let my ancestor's past be repeated! The Nazi's will fall today", Sly declared. Captain Scar-Sting laughed out loud and pointed a gloved hand at the raccoon. From Sly's point of view, the Captain was looking very intimidating.

"Ha! Keep dreaming! By the time I'm done with you, you're going to be regretting everything you have done to me...to us! The Colonel so wants to meet you but I think I'll save him the trouble and kill you myself!" The Captain growled. Sly snorted and took a fighting stance, not needing to be told twice in these sorts of situations. He's gone through this routine before, he was sure he could handle it.

"So the Colonel wants to settle some old grudge against me! I can see why. Guess William Cooper gave old Kennel a run for his money! But if I want to get a crack at him, I'll take you out first", Sly declared. Captain Scar-Sting chuckled and, in one swift movement, swung his MG 42 heavy machine gun from around his shoulder and gripped the handles firmly, aiming the weapon down at Sly. The MG 42, also known as 'Hitler's buzz saw', was one of the most effective weapons used in WWII. Because of its high rate of fire, it made a sort of buzz saw noise, earning its nickname.

"Eat lead rat", Scar-Sting shouted, blasting away at Cooper without mercy. The raccoon let out a growl and leapt to the side. The ground exploded in a shower of dirt and debris as the heavy 7.92 mm rounds striking the earth where Sly once stood. Sly on the other hand rolled along the ground where he had leapt to and stopped in a crouched position, watching and waiting for the Captain to strike. Spinning around, the Captain unleashed another long burst of heavy machine gun fire upon the raccoon, bullets flying through the air and sparks blazing forth from the muzzle of the heavy gun. Sly had to move quickly, his form blurring out almost as he sprinted out of the line of fire. The trail of bursting bullets on the ground followed the raccoon before he made a decisive leap behind a destroyed, French halftrack beside the Tiger tank the Captain was riding in. Scar-Sting roared with annoyance and reloaded his machine gun, pulling back the bolt to make sure the rounds remained secure.

Panting, Sly looked around the halftrack for something to use. He found it, a form of a rifle a French soldier had dropped. A Lebel 1886 rifle, same one his ancestor William used. The rifle gleamed in the sun as it lay there, just begging to be sued. Sly looked at the gun with curiosity for the moment before drawing his attention back towards the Captain, waiting for him on the other side of the halftrack. He was shouting at him, egging him on to come out. Explosions continued to ring out around them, making it quite impossible to hear what the Captain was shouting.

"Come out rat! I may even spare your puny little life!" Scar-Sting shouted, letting off another burst at the halftrack. Sly cringed at the sound of it and looked back at the rifle. It looked as if it was loaded, but Sly didn't know that for sure. Grabbing the rifle he pulled it towards him, pulling the bolt up and back slowly to check it there were some rounds left in it. Seeing that the entire chamber was full up to seven rounds, the raccoon smiled and pushed the bolt back into position. With the chamber full, he was sure to get something out of this one. Preparing himself, Sly crouched behind the halftrack, awaiting the Captain's next burst of machine gun fire.

It came soon enough, the giant dog letting the half track have it. The bullets had no effect on it though and, while he was approaching and reloading his weapon, Sly sprung out of his hiding place. The raccoon stood up and, leaning over the half track, directed the rifle straight at the Captain, firing off the rifle round. The projectile shot through the air and struck the Captain in the chest, making the dog stumble back and let out a yelp of surprise. However, the shot had no major effect on the dog as his skin was as strong as Muggshot's because of his strength. Sly could hardly believe it.

After seeing the Captain regain his footing, the giant dog raised the heavy machine gun again and fired off another round of machine gun fire. Sly let out a growl and ran out from his hiding place and into the open. Emptying his chamber of the empty round, he fired again, pulling the bolt back and pushing it in again. He fired round after round, continuously running out of the Captain's line of fire. When he was out, Sly threw the gun down and made a quick sprint out into the valley, rolling over a body and crawling underneath a burning tank, keeping low. The Captain however had other plans. Having tired of this cat and mouse game, Scar-Sting moved to get rid of the obstacles in his path. Throwing down his heavy machine gun he flung over his shoulder the massive bazooka he had been carrying all this time. The massive weapon was actually a Panzershrek, a German anti-tank gun. It was capable of removing almost all solid objects in a single blow. With a rocket already shoved into it, the Captain raised the Panzershrek and fired. There was a click and whoosh of smoke when the anti-tank weapon fired its projectile. The rocket struck the destroyed Panzer IV, destroying the entire front part of the tank. The explosion that rang out was enormous and forceful, sending dust everywhere. It was only 200 yards away.

With the tank destroyed, the Captain opted for a reload, pushing a new rocket into the back of the cylinder weapon. He was certain that the blast had killed Sly but he wasn't sure. All he knew was that whatever happened was supposed to happen. While he was reloading, he failed to notice a certain someone sneaking up behind him, golden hooked cane in hand and a very sneaky stance in place. Shoving the new shell into his weapon, he raised it and fired at the tank, the rocket striking the remaining half of the smoking vehicle and sending it into oblivion. It was when he was lowering his weapon was he suddenly struck.

Jumping at him, Sly swung his cane downwards at the massive Panzershrek, his cane denting it and knocking it out of the giant dog's hand who was clearly taller then he was. Captain Scar-Sting yelled in surprise when his weapon was thrown out of his hands and looked to his right to whoever attacked him. He found out that it was Sly and before he had a chance to react, got hammered in the face when Sly leapt into the air and sent a kick right into his face. The dog stumbled back and rammed his back into the rear of his destroyed Tiger, the Captain wiping his face to check if anything was broken. Sly landed on the ground and took a straight out stance, cane held downwards and eyes narrowed on his opponent. Scar-Sting growled and looked over at Sly after checking his hand for any blood. There was none.

"You! You're dead Sly, mark my words", the Captain yelled, charging at the raccoon and sending a mighty punch at the raccoon. Sly ducked and slid under his outstretched fist, sending the tip end of his cane into the Captain's leg. The Captain yelped as he fell to his knees when Sly knocked at his leg before turning to see where his opponent had gone. Sly was standing behind him a little to his side, completely in sight. The raccoon bore a serious look and was glaring his opponent down with a light he rarely had.

"If I was dead then why aren't I? You see, speed always beats strength Captain, you should know that. I am beating you now because you lack the proper skill to handle your strength and you lost in that tank battle because your Tiger goes more for endurance then speed. That is why you are losing to the French Foreign Legion right now", said Sly, gesturing to the remains of the once great Panzer army. Another King Tiger burst into flames when it was ganged up on by three M1 Abrams tanks, all of them making mince meat out of whatever resistance was left. The Captain saw this and glared back up at his opponent. Sly looked down at him and smirked. "Power sometimes can't be achieved by how big or tough you look, it all depends on how you use yourself in these situations."

The Captain ignored Sly completely and let out a roar. Slamming his fist into the ground he pushed himself up and stood above the raccoon, fists balled and teeth bore. The giant dog stared dagger at the raccoon and, with the moment, took off his helmet. Throwing it to the ground the giant dog faced his opponent bravely. "I don't care what you say raccoon. I don't know how you managed to beat us but I swear to you, it won't happen with me, not now! I'll pummel you good", the Captain yelled. Sly sighed and shook his head, twirling his cane in his hand and holding it firmly in between his fingers.

"Very well then, have it your way", Sly said. With a bark, the dog lunged at him, throwing a rather over done punch at the raccoon. Sly side stepped the blow easily and stepped back, making sure he had enough space to fight this guy. The Captain continued his assault. Throwing a hook, a upper cut, two more punched, a body shot and a straight right punch. These attacks were made with all the fury Scar-Sting could muster, his fists flashing through the air and making whooshing sounds. The punches had power, but lacked the stopping power and efficiency they needed. He was too slow and because of it, Sly was able to get around his punches with ease.

Stepping to the left, Sly, avoided a rather over done punch by his opponent before swiping at Scar-Sting with a swift, left hook. The Captain staggered to his left from the blow and wiped his face, shaking his head to get rid of the ringing. With another growl, he spun and lunged at Sly again. Smirking, the raccoon dropped to his back on the floor and kicked out with two feet, striking Scar-Sting in the stomach. Though this failed to throw him away, Sly managed to keep him where he was, the dog clawing out at his face with his massive hands. Barking and yelling, Captain Scar-Sting tried to inflict as much pain as he could on his opponent, even though he had stopped moving. With greater effort, Sly kicked at the dogs face with his right foot, jabbing at his face a couple of times before throwing the Captain away, leaping to his feet. Regaining what little composure he had, the great Captain shook his head and bleeding nose, pulling out one of the grenades from his utility belts. Unscrewing the fuse, he threw the stick at Sly, the raccoon seeing the grenade being thrown at his feet. On instinct, the raccoon leapt out of the way before the grenade exploded. Shrapnel and dust was sent everywhere accompanied by smoke. Captain Scar-Sting laughed and pulled out two more grenades, throwing them directly in the path of Sly. Sly changed course and leapt out of the way, rolling across the ground before they exploded.

"That's right rat, keep running", the Captain shouted. Clicking two more in his hands and twirling them, he ditched them. The two sticks flew through the air, one of them landing on the ground while the other bypassed Sly completely where it would explode at a safe distance. Seeing this opportunity presented to him since his punches and kicks were having no effect, Sly picked up the grenade. Quickly, Sly threw the stick back at the Captain, shocking the dog. In slow motion, the grenade twirled through the air towards its new target, the Captain raising his arms in defense. Scar-Sting blinked a couple of times before uttering one word. "Oh…"

BOOM! A massive explosion rocked the wilderness as the grenade exploded in midair. Smoke, dust and debris clouded Sly's view of his target. The raccoon waved his hand in front of him before looking back into the cloud. He heard agonized screaming coming from the cloud along with the sound of stumbling and cursing. Seconds later, emerging from the cloud was a staggered Captain, the soldier gripping the side of his face and screaming in pain. Apparently, the grenade Sly had thrown exploded closest to the side of his face, or perhaps the Captain had turned his face away just in time for him to get a nice, permanent scar. Still, Sly couldn't help but cringe at the sight.

Growling through intense waves of pain, Scar-Sting glared back over at his opponent and balled his fists, revealing his ash ridden, scarred face. With his teeth bared, the Captain approached where he saw Sly in a blurry vision. "You! YOU!!" the tank commander screamed, running at his opponent. Tiring of the fight, Sly let out a sigh before dropping into a fighting stance. Just as the Captain was reaching him, Sly leapt into the air and, performing an amazing spin in the air, sent a kick directly across the tank commander's face. There was a loud thud when Scar-Sting received that lethal kick and knocked back from the force of it, the Captain could take no more. His body just gave up right then and there. Collapsing to his knees, the Captain then fell over, right at Sly's feet.

With the Captain now unconscious, Sly was able to dust himself off and fix up his clothes. Twirling his cane in his hand the raccoon stored it in the scabbard on his back, smirking as he crossed his arms. He shook his head with pity down at the German Pinscher. "Such a waste. Guess the lower in rank you get the easier they are. But now I've got Kennel to deal with", the raccoon said.

"_**Sly! COME IN! SLY!! DO YOU READ ME! PLEASE!"**_ his ear suddenly screeched. His head ringing, Sly pressed his finger to his ear when he heard Bentley come on line. The turtle really didn't need to shout so loud, not when he could already hear him perfectly well.

"Yeah I hear you Bentley, not so loud OK. I'm fine. What's wrong buddy", asked Sly. The turtle was stuttering on the other end of the line, unable to get through what he wanted to say. He had to put this as delicately as possible so not to upset his friend.

"_**Sorry pal, but I've got some good and bad news for you. The good news is that the French Foreign legion has beaten the Germans back. They're all falling back to the volcano",**_ Bentley informed. Sly nodded, looking around at the damage. There were a lot of destroyed vehicles around, most of them Sly couldn't identify. But it was clear that the amount of tanks destroyed was great, especially for the Germans. Guess the Legion was able to over power them.

"OK, so do you mind telling me what's the bad news", asked Sly. Bentley gulped and scratched the back of his head nervously. He really didn't want to break this to him.

"_**Well uhh Sly, the bad news is that…Colonel Kennel has Carmelita hostage and is taking her to the Krack-Karov volcano",**_ Bentley said. Sly's eyes widened and he spun around towards the German lines, his mouth agape and a shocked look written on his face.

"What, how?!" the raccoon asked. Bentley stammered on his end.

"_**I-I'm not sure Sly, the Colonel just somehow slipped in through the defenses and took her when her tank was disabled. I don't know, but we have to do something. Look, there is a good chance that Clockwerk is nearly rebuilt, and the 2nd French Foreign Legion army is attacking the volcano. They are unable to breach the walls but the attacks should give us the cover we need to get in",**_ Bentley shouted. Sly nodded and looked out towards the fields, sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Right. I have to get in there to save Carmelita and stop Clockwerk. Is the underground passage we used before still accessible", asked Sly, remembering the last time they visited Clockwerk and defeated him. Bentley nodded.

"Y_**eah, I hacked into the SS database and found that the gateway is still accessible. The entrance along the way is slightly blocked but because of the instability of the area, they are unable to send a crew to fix it up. It should be easy to slip through. But when we get up to the bunker, you're on your own",**_ Bentley explained. Sly nodded and let out a sigh.

"OK, pick me up at the rendezvous point. I'll be there in a few seconds…"

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

_**Author's note:**_ i had to choose between North Africa and Russia for this battle. Seeing as that i wanted a Carmelita being kidnapped situation, i decided to put it close to the main base, so the Russian battle was in Kursk. Anyway, please review. 


	6. Chapter 6

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 6

_**Russia**_

_**Krack-Karov Volcano**_

_**Western side**_

"Concentrated fire, into the trenches on me", the leading Sergeant of the French Foreign Legion shouted. Over the gunshots and explosions of artillery shells going off, the Sergeant was able to carry out his orders, passing his orders down to the men in turn. Immediately after shouting, an entire barrage of heavy machine gun and rifle fire sprung up, flying up and straight at the German defensive lines just yards away from their positions close to the base of the volcano.

Both the West and East sides of the volcano were being ruthlessly struck by assaults launched by the French Foreign Legion. Troops dressed in uniforms designed for this type of warfare were right now marching up the mountain, by passing all the defenses in their wake. It was only when they reached the very line that was preventing a lot of trouble for them did they slow their assault. The Easter front was pressing on to the pinnacle of the volcano while the West army's assaults had grounded to a halt at the trench line. SS soldiers had taken the liberty of adding extra fortifications to the already well defended volcano. Those defenses included entrenched artillery batteries, concrete bunkers, sandbag bunkers, machine gun posts, two lines of trenches, a concrete, high wall in which the Germans were able to lay down suppressing fire and a valley of mines, barbed wire and hedgehogs. This prevented any rash moves up the mountain that would surely jeopardize their being here. The French Foreign Legion was having the toughest time of its life as it tried to push on. Air strikes were called in and any tank that tried to get up the volcano was destroyed where it stood. This resulted in the French Foreign Legion to use mountain machine guns and hand held, anti-tank weaponry.

The primary rifle used by the French Foreign Legion was a Lebel 1886 while their primary submachine gun was the ever effective Thompson. All troops were given a Colt 45 as a side arm. The heavy machine gun crews armed with either a Lewis Gun or a 30 caliber machine gun had to carry these weapons up to a high point before they were able to fire at the enemy. Mortars were set up at the base of the volcano to allow suppressing heavy fire down on the machine gun nests above the troops and provide covering fire as the troops advanced. But with the new German obstacles set up in their way, no direct assaults could be made further.

Now entrenched themselves, the French troops had to continue exchanging fire with their opponents. Taking pot shots every now and then, the troops bit and held their positions until the next air strike could be launched. The Germans were relieved for now.

But on the Eastern front, the French Foreign legion troops were advancing faster then expected. Shocked and weakened, the SS 3rd Panzer army was falling back into the safety of their trenches along the ridges of the volcano. The Tigers were forced to back down miles and miles, laying down a field of fire to allow their trucks and half tracks to get inside the volcano and unload their troops. Infantry that had been following the tanks had to duck and cover every now and then to avoid concentrated barrages of fire from the enemy troops before sprinting onwards. Much of the infantry had been taken down while some just managed to scramble up the mountain and make it to their trenches. Explosions rocked the face of the volcano, threatening to cause an avalanche.

Parking themselves at the base of the volcano, the remaining M1 Abrams picked off the remaining Panzers and artillery wagons, as well as take out the remaining Tigers. With this combined fire power, the French troops pressed on. Crouching for cover behind destroyed vehicles and whatever cover they could find, fired up at the retreating infantry. It was around the time when most of the French Foreign Legion troops had begun unloading themselves onto the field did they experience intense barrages of enemy fire. Up in the trenches were entrenched tanks set up by the SS long before their arrival. The tanks consisted of Tiger tanks and Panzer IV's, the lines of parked tanks able to fire down at the French troops, keeping them at bay. A division of Flak 88 guns have also been set up, their barrage scaring the hell out of the M1 tank drivers who were aware of the guns' anti-tank capabilities. So, keeping out of its range, the M1 tanks tried to pick them off one by one as their troops advanced up the volcano.

Germans returned fire with their MG 42 emplacements, MP 40 sub machine guns and Kar98 K rifle fire. The snipers held up in their positions used their Gewehr 43 rifles to pick off troops, causing real mayhem for the French soldiers. In response the French had their own snipers pick off the German snipers one by one, all the while maintaining their forward assault. But as it turns out, the defenses the Germans were putting up were far stronger then they had anticipated and instead of pushing forward with a major task force, the French held their positions. Tankers had to wait a fair distance away in order to avoid getting hit by anti-tank fire and so mowed down any infantry in their sights. Exhausted from their recent battle, the French Foreign infantry stood back and just exchanged barrages of fire little by little.

While all this gun fighting was going on around the bases of the volcano and on both West and East lines, a cunning group of thieves took this as an opportunity to sneak past. Choosing the path they had used to make their way up to Clockwerk's fort before, they drove down the dirt and ash ridden path and up the various hills. To their left and right were vehicles belonging to the French army and every now and then they would pass by a squad of French Foreign Legion soldiers. Artillery shells landed all around them, creating craters and sending debris and dust 200 feet into the air. Most of the vehicles they past were alright, but as they drew closer to the front, they found that many other vehicles were on fire. Murray was sure to stay clear of the concentrated artillery fire raining down on the region while Bentley sat inside the van, praying that they wouldn't get hit. Sly however remained seated on the artillery cannon staked on the back of the van, worried sick about Carmelita safety.

Sly felt terrible on the inside. His heart was threatening to cave in and stop itself. Thoughts of Carmelita being tortured and having this Colonel Kennel doing unspeakable things to her made him feel weak. He had a combined look of upset and anger on his face and didn't know what emotion to look to. All he knew was that he had to get Carmelita out of there no matter what, even if it meant risking his own life. Over the years she had been chasing him across the globe he had been growing fonder of her with each passing day. He had a feeling that she felt the same way to. But because of their differences, he could not share any affection with her. As the saying goes, he was a thief and she was a cop, both on different sides of the law. Whatever the case may be, he could not lose her. She is very important to him.

The shelling around Sly grew more intense as they progressed further. The raccoon was unfazed by the bombings yet his friends were. Murray was swiveling the van round to avoid a few near misses while Bentley was cowering further in the front passenger seat. The turtle let out a yell as the road grew narrower and narrower as signs of them closing in through enemy lines became more apparent. Bared wire littered the very edges of the road as well as craters, boulders and enemy vehicles. German infantry who stood around on diminutive points began shooting down at the van passing through the narrow pass. Bullets bounded off of the exterior of the van, its alloy providing the team bullet proof protection. Even the windows were bullet proof. But Bentley was still concerned about the artillery now coming from behind him from the French Foreign Legion troops. As of now, they were behind enemy lines.

"Sly! We're coming up on the gate, get that 75mm going, we need you to blow it open and anything else in our way", Murray shouted. Sly, snapping out of his daydreaming spun around on the seat and, amidst the bombings and gun fire, cranked the turret to face ahead of the van and loaded it. The gun was up and running in a couple of clips, the heavy shell sliding into the chamber. The raccoon gripped the firing lever tightly, his eyes narrowing down through the sights.

"Alright Murray, I'm on it. When we get to the bunker, we're going to have to stop. The cannon will never make it through the caverns. Drop me off round the front, we don't want to lose another good gun", Sly shouted. Murray nodded, hitting the pedals so he could run through the narrow straight, the walls of the cliffs around them closing in. German infantry has thinned out now and the artillery fire was toned down a little. Dust still fell from high altitude points but little damage was made. Bentley yelled when suddenly, coming up in front of them just down the line, a large steel door approached. It was a real wreck, its design still bearing the Clockwerk signs but also, hanging above it was the Nazi Swastika banner and the Nazi Germany emblem. Bentley pointed ahead of them as they quickly shot towards the entrance, the doors boarded up.

"Sly! Here we come! Fire that gun!" Bentley shouted. Sly fumbled around at the controls, aiming the crosshairs down on the large doors. The doors were steel made bu badly damaged from the last time they were here. All the Nazi's could do before the entrances sealed up was board up the doors so to prevent any intruders. Knowing that the French Foreign Legion troops knew little about this, they left it poorly guarded. Sly took that as a good thing. Once the sights were narrowed down on the door, he was ready. It was only a hundred meters away now.

"These armor piercing shells should do it. Hold on to your helmets guys, this is going to be loud!" Sly warned. Bentley blocked his ears while Murray ducked a little, both of them waiting for the shot. It came soon enough: a loud bang followed up by an enormous recoil shock that shook the van and earth. The vehicle trembled violently when the artillery cannon went off. There was a bright flash of light and a second explosion when the shell made contact with the steel doors. The boards were blown off on impact while the steel frames and the remains of the door were blown off their hinges. When the smoke and dust settled, the entrance ahead of them was wide open, large enough for the team van and the 75mm on the back to fit through.

In a gust of wind and a wave of bellowing dust, the van sped through the entrance. With the sudden entry into the unknown, Sly reloaded the 75mm and turned the turret, preparing to counter attack anything that gets in their way. Murray could just as easily run over any infantry but Sly was left with the job of eliminating any heavy resistance. Passing through the narrow passage of cliffs they had used to access before, the gang didn't face any land mines this time. Instead, once they made it out into the open with lava pits to their left and right and the road becoming narrower and narrower, they became uninvited guests. Immediately after entering the very heart of the SS stronghold they were met with the guards that had been dispatched around the entire volcano summit.

The cliff tops that sloped upwards and out of the lakes linked to the numerous rivers of lava soon were swarmed over by Waffen SS- Verfügungstruppen. These were special units of the SS guard that held a strong form in the SS militia, even back in WWII. Dressed in black uniforms with yellow and silver lacings, as well as wearing shin high boots, black steel helmets, packed with utility belts of ammunition and armed with either the MP 40 submachine gun or the Kar98 K rifle, the German soldiers began raining hell down on the van. The packs of soldiers consisted mainly of German shepherds, all of which hammered away at the Cooper van. These Waffen SS troops emerged everywhere, some of them dressed in different uniforms. Officers also came with their soldiers, using Luger pistols and continuously raining lead down at the intruders. Murray and Bentley were safe, but Sly felt a little too exposed under all of the fire. He had to put a stop to it.

Wheeling the turret around at the nearest cliff that supported a large number of the SS, Sly aimed down below them at the very cliff itself. With a loud thud, a bang and recoil, a heavy artillery shell was sent hurling into one of the cliffs. There was a massive explosion as the very cliff that held the Ss soldiers was reduced to rubble. The rubble and remains of the cliff, as well as the SS, plummeted to the lava lakes below. Their howls and screams echoed in the distance before vanishing altogether. It was the sight of the 75mm gun going off did the other Waffen SS troops on other surrounding cliffs begin retreating. They shouted orders and yelled in fear, all of them vanishing with the moment. Bentley cheered and waved his fist in the air towards them.

"Yeah that's right! Take a hike you Krauts", the turtle exclaimed. Sly smirked at the sight of the Germans retreating. He could definitely get used to this.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the van at the impact of something big and heavy. Murray regained control of his van seconds later and on instinct, all three occupants of the van began looking around for whatever it was that had hit them. Sly, using his binocucom looked over the cliffs again. He found out what it was that had slammed into the side of the van and was surprised none to say the least when he saw a Waffen SS soldier on one of the cliffs, Panzershrek anti-tank weapon in hand. The German was right now reloading the weapon, intending on hitting his target again. Noticing the guys rushing work, Sly cranked the turret round to the left side of the van where the soldier, was, a shell being shoved into the chamber again. With the slot pushed back into place, Sly took aim and fired, a louder bang following as the recoil shook the van. The shell that hurled towards the cliff punctured it, sending the soldier on it down into the lava lakes. He was dead before his body was even roasted.

With the all clear for now, Sly went on to reload his weapon, emptying the chamber and shoving in a new shell. With the turret moved back to have it aimed directly in front of the van, Sly kept a look out for anymore enemy units. Murray and Bentley also kept a lookout for any more soldiers. Soon enough they passed the point where there was a large section of cliffs and hills that divided them from the actual summit. This was the exact spot they passed where Clockwerk's towering death ray took out the rubble at the top and sent an avalanche falling towards them. Thankfully there was nothing else left to give them any trouble. But safety wasn't assured just yet when suddenly a squadron of Stuka bombers came in from over the horizon. The bombers flew up high into the skies to gain altitude before suddenly diving straight towards the Cooper van, machine guns blazing away and their primary bombs appearing below them on their launching racks.

Murray and Bentley spotted the bombers and so did Sly. The raccoon cranked the turret upwards so that it pointed towards the sky. Making sure he had a fix, he fired. The shell hurled towards one of the fighters, taking it out and screwing up the diving routes of the rest of the bombers. The bomber that burst into flames was only a minor interruption for the rest of the fighters and, safe, the bombers continued their dive, machine guns blazing. Bentley, noticing Sly's slacking, spun in his seat and shouted towards the raccoon behind him.

"Don't just sit there Sly, shoot back. Use the Lewis Gun in the seat holster", Bentley shouted. Sly, taking note of the light, mounting machine gun Bentley had taken the liberty of storing in the side of the gun nodded and pulled the gun up by its handle. Pulling on the bolt, Sly took hold of the massive gun and aimed its sights on the Stukas. The whistling the bombers made grew louder, and when they were in range, Sly began firing up at them. The machine gun made loud, semi automatic gun shot noises as it fired its repeated barrages up at the incoming fighters. The recoil of the machine gun thudded against Sly's shoulder as each round was launched up at the planes. The projectiles of course hit on home, damaging a couple of the bombers and forcing them to pull up. As anticipated, the other bombers pulled away too before they could suffer any critical damage. They moved out of range before they even had a chance to drop their bay loads. The van was out of harms way again.

Sly continued peppering 7.62mm rounds up at the bombers before they were completely out of sight, the raccoon gritting his teeth as he held his gun up, panting slightly. After his long efforts at scattering the enemy, Sly stored the machine gun away before moving on to reload the 75mm cannon. With a new shell stored, he looked back to the road ahead. When he looked back, he saw to his willing eyes the entrance to Clockwerk's fort, the bunker. The stone, concrete and steel structure, though it wasn't how he had left it was definitely the entrance to Clockwerk's inner fort. Bentley and Murray spotted it to and with a triumphant cry, Murray pointed directly at it.

"There it is guys, I see it", he shouted in exclamation. Bentley grinned and slammed both his fists on the dash board.

"We're almost there, just a few hundred feet to go", Bentley shouted. Murray picked up the speed a little but was sure not to go to fast so the van toppled over and into the lava. With the van speeding up, they drew closer and closer at an even faster rate.

At this distance, Sly was able to spot a few German units stationed outside the bunker. There were a couple of Krautkarts, tank motorcycles that were used by the Germans in WWII and a halftrack. The area was packed with Germans, all of them scrambling about and opening fire on the incoming van. Bullets rebounded off of the front of the van as the Cooper gang closed in on the bunker. In response to this, Sly spun the heavy turret around straight for the pile of fuel drums sitting just beside the halftrack. With the Germans in position, Sly opened fire. He sent his shell soaring straight into the fuel drums, causing a highly explosive, chain reaction. The fuel drums ignited and exploded, sending flames and their explosive force everywhere.

SS soldiers screamed as the explosion hit them, sending them careering over the edges of the section of cliff the bunker was stationed on or being torn to shreds by shrapnel. Either way, all German soldiers in the vicinity were cut down. Within seconds, after the dying of the flames and the revealing of the now destroyed halftrack, the damage was done and the Cooper van was free to park. Wheeling the blue, armored van around, Murray parked it right outside the bunker, the motor still running and ready to go. Murray, stepping on the brake looked back up and over at Sly, narrowing his eyes seriously as the raccoon slipped down into the back, grabbing whatever he needed.

"Remember Sly, we can't wait for you out here, we're too far, and we can't go on with you any further. You're on your own", Murray said. "This is personally your fight. Even so, we'll be holding of the Germans for you as best we can!" Bentley nodded in agreement, watching Sly collect a utility belt and strap it around him. There were two holsters and several ammo clips on the belts. The holsters contained Mauser C/12 pistols, both of them custom made for Sly's own personal use. He had a feeling he would need them in this fight.

"I think it's safe for you to know Sly that we highly disapprove with this plan of attack, but we have already gotten this far and we can't turn around now. We also know how you feel about Carmelita and we understand what you must do", Bentley continued, seeing Sly sling his cane over his shoulder. The raccoon looked over at Bentley, a determined and serious look on his face. The turtle smiled and nodded to him. "Go save her Sly, if you really do love her that much."

Sly blinked a few times then smiled as well. "I do love her Bentley, thanks. I really appreciate what you guys have done for me. I promise I'll make it up to you next time", Sly replied. Bentley waved his hand at his friend and chuckled while Murray merely grinned.

"No need Sly, it's what friends do, we look out for each other. Then again now that you mention it, maybe after you save Carmelita we can all go on a nice vacation, maybe to Switzerland or Austria", Bentley said. Murray shrugged, having to agree with Bentley's suggestions.

"I could use it to. But first thing's first! Go get em' pal", Murray shouted, raising a fist. Sly grinned and nodded, giving both of them the thumbs up.

"Alright, thanks again you two. If we do make it out of here alive, we'll go on that vacation!" the raccoon declared. With final nods and waves, Sly took off, bursting out the back doors and sprinting up the hill towards the bunker. Passing by smoking corpses and burnt out fuel lines, the raccoon made it to the door. Pushing up against it, Sly forced himself in, the steel doors opening with splintering cracks and rumbles. With those obstacles removed, Sly sprinted into the dark and unknown.

Even though it was dark and frightful in perspective, Sly wasn't going to back down. He had to save Carmelita before it was too late…

* * *

Standing just in front of the window over looking the digging sight, Colonel Kennel was watching his troops moving about. Half tracks, jeeps and halftracks were relocating and shifting between both the Western Front and the Eastern front, the soldiers trying to keep up with the repeated assaults from the French Foreign legion. Because of these continuous assaults, a lot of good German soldiers were being killed and needed to be replaced. In response to this, the Germans sent in there Verfügungstruppen soldiers to reinforce weak points all over the volcano. It wouldn't be long until the French broke through their lines. But because of their oaths and strict ways, they would not allow themselves to surrender.

In Kennel's eyes, his troops were fighting well. But after looking back on what had transpired during this month, he found that his men were weak. His officers have failed him and were in prison. He knew that he was going to be next. It was this thought that kept him on his toes. He would not allow himself to be captured and so, if the time came, he would have to go the same way as his idol the Fuehrer, Hitler himself. Grab the Luger and aim it as his head. But not allowing such thoughts to cloud his view of things, he believed that he could turn the tides of this battle in their favor. He had already lost his Panzer forces but still had enough men to cripple the French forces and send them packing. He did of course have their leader in custody…more like his personal prisoner.

Glancing behind him at a table, he saw the bounded fox from the Kursk battle struggling to break free from the binds that kept her pinned on a prepped table. The main tables that were once set up in the room had been removed to make way for the prisoner who, right now, was looking like she had had the crap beat out of her. Bruises covered her and she had cuts as well. Blood dripped down from her bottom lip and her wrists were also scared badly. On either side of the table stood two SS Verfügungstruppen guards, clearly enlisted men and two more high ranking officers stood away from them, standing at attention. These officers were of Gestapo personnel. Given their high status in the ranking system, they could do as they please, unless they obeyed their commanding officer. Just like Kennel, they were ruthless and cruel.

It was apparent that Carmelita had been tortured and not just for information. The SS used inhumane methods to get the information they needed from even women prisoners of war. If any one soldier or citizen were to be confronted by an entire squad of SS Gestapo of Waffen SS troops, they had a choice of killing themselves rather then suffer the pains that they caused. A normal person would sooner be killed in torture if not by firing squad. It was amazing Carmelita was still alive, even after a short period of time. The fox growled as she pulled at the cuffs that stuck her to the table, the SS guards continuously watching over her. When her shouts of pain and frustration became annoying to them, one of the guards jabbed her in the gut with the butt of his Kar98K rifle, knocking the air out of her and making her cough up blood. Carmelita groaned and whimpered in agony. She may have been tough, but not as tough as they had expected. The once strong Carmelita has been brought down by their interrogations and brutal torture.

Kennel scowled at the girl, his eyes twitching and his scarred eye wavering. He showed no mercy to prisoners, but this Carmelita was proving to be quite the tough nut to crack. She has yet to spill the beans on her feelings for one Sly Cooper and what her forces strengths were. The Colonel nodded towards the SS guard on Carmelita right and gestured towards the girl, giving him inaudible orders. The German nodded and with a swift movement, punched her across the face, shutting her up. The vixen whimpered for a second after coughing up blood before quieting down to panting. The SS guard chuckled evilly. Kennel however turned on his heel and waltzed over to Carmelita, serious as ever and not finding any amusement in her suffering. The German shepherd glared down at her pitiful state after stopping a few meters in front of her, his eyes boring into hers.

Looking up, Carmelita saw Kennel glaring down at her. He was dressed in a full uniform and, not only was he holding onto his cane but also had an MP 40 slung over his shoulder. He was in full battle ready and definitely fitted the status of commander. But after what he had done to her, she was not going to start praising him now. The fox leered at him and bared her teeth, her body trembling. "What…what do you want now", the fox said in a shaky voice. The Colonel raised an eyebrow, impressed at her abilities to speak. He thought she was already done. He returned her glare with a more intense one and bent over to get a closer look at her.

"The answer to my previous question: Are you the officer who vas chasing Sly Cooper or not?! Be truthful, because I know you are!" The Colonel growled. Carmelita returned his glare, her eyes wavering and threatening to break. In this hardened staring contest, Carmelita looked over her thoughts and feelings. Yes, it was true she had admitted to herself that she liked Sly. After all the years she had been chasing him ever since they first met, she had felt something for him. She just didn't know how to handle it and it scared her, that was the reason she kept her feelings hidden. On top of that, she had set up that black and white view just to make her look tough and do her job. But now her feelings were starting to overflow and right now, all she could hope for was Sly to come in and save her. All she could think about was Sly.

Glaring up at the Colonel more hotly, the cop shouted in reply. "OK! OK. You got me! I do love Sly Cooper, but what does that have anything to do with this whole war of yours", Carmelita screamed. The Colonel smiled and straightened himself, giving Carmelita the silent treatment for the moment. Carmelita couldn't help but feel more irritated by the second. She would have yelled again but was fearful for what other punishments the SS would have her subjected to.

Glancing over his shoulder he turned around and walked back over to the bunker window, gazing out onto the fields. Explosions from artillery went off all around the volcano area. Despite this, he remained strong. "It means everything!" Kennel growled lowly. Carmelita stared at the German shepherd's back for seconds on end, still pondering her question for an answer. Suddenly, Kennel shouted something in German and with a Heil Hitler salute, the four SS guards parted, exiting the bunker through the steel doors, shutting the door a second later with a creak and bang. Now alone, Kennel could freely speak his mind.

Without looking back at Carmelita, he stood, glaring out into space. "Vhen I vas a young boy, my father told me all about my grandfather and how grandfather became a powerful SS General in the var. My grandfather vas in both Vorld Var One and Vorld Var Two, making him the most vell respected General of the SS and in the Fuehrer's eyes. For years my grandfather has lived under oppression and pains that vith those pains soon filtering throughout my entire family. And you know who vas the cause of these pains?" he asked. Carmelita blinked at this and remained silent, listening to the Colonel speak. Kennel's scarred eye twitched as the memories of his father's words echoed through his mind, the pains of this coursing through his veins. He did not avert his gaze, nor did he waver under it. "The ones who did this to me and my family vere the Coopers!"

Carmelita was surprised by this. She was unaware of this information however did not feel sorry for the guy. After what he had done to her and what people like him have done to Europe, she felt she didn't owe him anything. The Colonel ignored this and clenched his fists as he continued. "My father told me my grandfather vas an exceptional pilot in Vorld Var One! He vent by the name 'Eagle Fury' and shot down many British and French fighters in the var. But he vas eventually shot down by one Otto Van Cooper. After that he never flew again. When he joined the SS vhen the Fuehrer came to power, he rose to the rank of General and led the Gestapo Legionnaires in many battles across the vorld, Belgium, Holland, France, Russia, Italy and finally Germany itself! Vhen it came to that dreadful D-Day invasion, my grandfather confronted another Cooper, named Villiam 'Sharp-Shot' Cooper! That rat and his entire personal garrison of French Foreign Legion soldiers defeated my grandfather vherever he vent. The last battle took place between them on the Reich land where the Nazi's were born, on top of the German Parliament. They fought, and my grandfather lost. My family vent into hiding then. That's vhere all the pains ve have suffered came back full force! EXHILE!"

The Colonel let out an infuriated yell and slammed his fist into the cement wall. The wall shook as his fist lay embedded in the thick concrete where he had punched the hole. Dust lifted off on impact but when he pulled his fist out of the hole he had created, concrete pieces and debris fell out and onto the floor, the Colonel's hand smeared with dust. Carmelita cringed when his fist struck the wall but when she looked back, she saw that he was fine. The Colonel spun around and faced her, his eyes hardening on the form of her. She moved uncomfortably where she lay, ignoring the pains she felt in her body. At this, the Colonel approached, his arms lowering to his sides and his footsteps echoing in the emptiness of the insides of this bunker.

As he approached, he spoke again. "My grandfather was a good man! He fought honorably and obeyed the Fuehrer's orders. But now he's dead, thanks to the Cooper family! And here I stand, continuing the dream and visions of my grandfather and the Fuehrer. I vill resurrect Clockverk, and conquer the vorld vith him! In so doing, I vill avenge my grandfather and restore honor to my family and my name! Vith the vorld in my hands and Sly Cooper dead, nothing vill stand in my vay! NOTHING!" he screamed, slamming his foot down on the table Carmelita was bound to. The fox trembled as she stared up at the German shepherd, her eyes showing fear that was rarely seen. The Colonel leered at her, his muzzle drawing closer to hers and his breathing quickening to a dangerous level.

Carmelita struggled more to break free from her binds but found that it was useless. She also stopped for another good reason. There was a slicing sound and a flash of metal that caught her eyes. She gasped and pressed backwards into the table, her head resting back as far as it would go as Kennel pressed his drawn knife against her lower chin. The blade shone in the little light generated inside of the bunker. There was an explosion of artillery and the volcano shook, a glass cup falling off of the Colonel's desk on the far end of the room and shattering into a million pieces when it hit the ground. The Colonel applied more pressure of the blade against his prisoner, seeing her shiver and sweat.

"You are the cop Sly Cooper loves! He shows affections and kindness to you any man vould to a voman he loves! I figure…you are his veakness. He vould do anything to protect you! But he's not here!" he stated, his eyes glimmering evilly. Carmelita whimpered under his intense gaze, feeling the blade almost cut through her skin. The dog bared his teeth angrily, his true nature being revealed in full form. "I vill kill you! I vill make Sly suffer before I kill him! Two for the price of one! (Chuckles) This is my lucky day!"

Carmelita closed her eyes and sobbed, tears trickling down her cheeks. The Colonel showed no mercy and, pulled back his knife, he lunged, planning to send the knife into her heart. Then, there was a loud thud and crunch. With the moment, the Colonel was suddenly sent hurling across the room before sliding along the ground and slamming against the wall. Carmelita's eyes shot open in surprise, feeling the Colonel's weight leave her. Shock coursed through her body as she found to her joy and internal delight that the man she admired had arrived. Sly Cooper, standing in front of her was dropped in a fighting stance and was glaring down the Colonel angrily, his eyes twitching and his teeth bore menacingly. He had arrived just in time.

"I will not let you harm Carmelita anymore you bastard!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	7. Chapter 7

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 7

"Sly Cooper!" Colonel Kennel shouted. His look of shock turned into a scowl as he glared daggers at the slick thief. Sly was still dropped in a fighting stance, as if waiting for the Colonel to attack him, his cane brandishing menacingly. The SS Colonel staggered to his feet and dusted his officer's tunic down. The MP 40 was still slung over his shoulder and his hat remained propped on top of his head. After wiping himself clean of any dust or stains, the Colonel looked up, a frown bared across his lips as a sign of his distaste. "I see you have arrived…and just in time too…"

Sly remained where he was, standing balanced and securely. Carmelita, still bounded on the table watched the scene unfold before her. Though she was overjoyed that Sly was here, the fact still remains that Colonel Kennel was present at this very moment. He presented an obvious target but was also quite a powerful foe. Sly knew this from experience that the last boss was always the hardest.

The raccoon's ears twitched with his eyes hardening in his stare. "I will make you pay for what you've done Kennel. Mark my words, this will be the last hours of your life", Sly promptly yelled, his raised fist trembling. Kennel flinched then grinned. His razor sharp teeth bared themselves, glinting in the light of the room. With his cane held at his side, supporting him as he leaned against it, the Colonel spoke.

"Oh no Cooper, you are so wrong." Kennel then glared, a very deadly glare that promised a painful death to the person in his sights at that very moment. Ironically, the one to cross his path this time was his sworn enemy. "It is you who vill pay! Your insolence is just the tip of the iceberg of vhat you and your ancestors have done to me!" The Colonel screamed. Sly didn't waver under the Colonel's glare or his harsh words. It was his determination and will to protect Carmelita that gave him the strength and courage he needed to face off against Kennel.

"You Nazi scum have lived long enough! You and your lost cause mean nothing in this world now! Never again will it rise after this day!" The Colonel growled and slipped his cane into his cane, positioning it like a sheathed sword. With his knife back in its smaller sheath, the Colonel gripped the handle of the MP 40 behind him. Sly had spotted the weapon, but he didn't spot the Colonel's edgy hands reaching behind him.

"Enough talk Cooper! My quest will end today vith your death! Prepare to die!" Swifter then drawing a sword, the Colonel spun the MP 40 round his shoulder and brought it to bare on the raccoon. Sly was shocked at how fast the Colonel was and broke to the right, away from Carmelita. Pulling on the bolt and loading his weapon, the Colonel began blazing away at the raccoon several meters away. His path of bullets chased after the quick thief across the bunker's large room. Bullets tore apart the office and desk beyond Sly as the Colonel continued hammering away at his opponent, chasing him across the room with his weapon. His weapon echoed loudly in the concrete complex, the empty rounds emptying out onto the cold floor. Carmelita had to flatten her ears against the sides of her head to keep her ear drums from exploding.

Sly yelled in shock as he leapt and scurried over the various obstacles ling around the room, like the extra long desks and crates. He slid under a chair, the wooden seat suddenly exploding as rounds from the sub-machine gun being fired tearing it to shreds. With a quick flip over another box, Sly disappeared round the corner and out of sight. As soon as he disappeared behind the concrete pillar, the Colonel's MP 40 ran out of bullets, or it jammed Unsure of what had happened, the Colonel began checking his weapon, hitting the bolt and trying to unlock it from its jam. Growling in irritation, he tried to resolve the problem.

The time given to Sly was all the raccoon needed to prepare himself for battle. Sheathing his cane onto his back, the raccoon drew his two Mauser pistols. He loaded the weapons from the sliders and clicked the safeties off. With the catches removed, he was now ready. Taking in a few steady breaths of air, he spun around from his hiding place and pointed both his pistols at the Colonel in American-Western style. The SS Colonel heard Sly's emergence and, looking up, saw the raccoon's pistols drawn on him. That was all the Colonel needed to change his plans. Throwing his sub-machine gun to the floor, the Colonel reached into his holster under his trench coat and drew his Lugar. He loaded the weapon and pointed it at Sly, the two now engaging in a stand off of arms.

Flashes of light and sounds of gun fire broke out again as both opponents unleashed their gun slinging skills onto each other. With the element of advantage, the two of them began to shift in a clockwise motion round the bunker while laying off suppressing fire down on the other. It was kind of an ironic coincidence that with all the gun fire ringing out, both opponents were missing each other, despite being good shots. Maybe it was just the blinding of gun fire from both sides that threw their sharp aims off. Quickening their paces, the two of them continued exchanging fire. More empty bullet shells littered the ground at their feet as they maneuvered around the room and through the bullets fired at each other. No sooner then engaging in this fierce show down, the two of them approached each other. Sly sprinted forward, jumping onto the desk in the middle of the room and leaping straight at his opponent. The Colonel didn't do the same thing and fired at Sly as he soared through the air straight at him. Both guns in Sly's hands blazed away at Kennel as he soared through the air. Kennel's pistol thudded in his hand as he took careful shots at Sly.

Just as Sly was reaching limited range of his opponent, the thief double jumped in the air, leaping to the right, changing direction. In so doing, Sly was forced to direct his pistols to follow Kennel in his abseil through the air. The Colonel continued exchanging lethal shots that were real dangerous from that range. But just as Sly rolled across the floor when he finally lost altitude and momentum, both their weapons ran out. Kennel was the first, Sly was second. Rushing behind a pillar just in case, Sly loaded both his pistols. Sliding in the new feed clips into his magazines; Sly made sure he was up and ready again. Kennel unloaded the empty clip in his pistol and, quick as ever, slid a new one in from his ammo belt. Pulling back on the ringed hammer and popping it into place, the Colonel aimed his weapon at the pillar Sly was behind.

All at once, Sly revealed himself. Throwing his left pistol towards Colonel, he prepared to fire. But, faster then Sly could, Kennel fired, a single, loud shot ringing out. The 9mm round soared through the air, breaking new barriers before knocking the pistol out of Sly's hand, the raccoon letting out a yell of surprise when his left Mauser pistol was smacked out of his grip. Looking to where it had gone, Sly looked back and pointed his right pistol at the Colonel. In a flash of blinding light, the two fired at each other at the same time. If you were to slow things down to matrix form, you could see both bullets fired at their targets soaring through the air, accompanied by waves of sound. At exact height, the two bullets passed each other, just. At same speeds and velocity, the bullets struck the pistol held in the grips of those of the targets. The Colonel yelled when his pistol was knocked out of his hand with Sly only having his hand thrown away when the 9mm round knocked his secondary pistol away. Both pistols slid across the ground to separate locations, shocking the wielders.

The moment seemed to dawn to a stand still, But Sly seized this opportunity. He used the moment of pause to his advantage and sprinted across the room towards Kennel. With the Colonel suspended in shock, looking down at hi pistol, Sly leapt through the air at an incredible speed and height. Spinning through the air, tucked like a Ninja preparing to strike, he dived at his opponent with a side kick. Just as Kennel looked up, he got a massive blow to the face, knocking him staggering back from the impact, spit flying from his mouth. He only stopped when he rammed into the wall several feet back, his mouth lifting to his cheek and rubbing it to ease the soreness he felt. With a huff and a growl, the Colonel once more, glared daggers at the sleek raccoon. Sly had taken up an attack stance in his landing, the raccoon readying to strike.

Just as the moment passed, Sly sprinted at his opponent to carry out his relentless assault. It was the moment when Kennel reached for his cane did Sly stop in his tracks. In a flash of light, the Colonel drew his hidden sword. The thin, katana cross with a saber blade pointed directly at Sly. It shone in the light, streaking its shine across the wall and adding to the pose the Colonel was performing. The bunker shook when an artillery shell landed close by, almost knocking the scene out of balance. Sly was left in a state of surprise for the moment. His shock was all the time the Colonel needed to get out of this dead lock. Throwing himself forward, he pulled the sword he held in his right hand back and slashed out at his opponent. Sly, out of instinct and reflexes, let out a yell and back flipped out of the way. His height, strength in his jump and speed, propelled him back to Carmelita's table, the raccoon landing lightly in front of the vixen. With a scowl, he leapt back again, making sure to put more distance between him and Kennel. Then, it was locked…

A staring contest turned the battle prone atmosphere into a steady, dramatic scene. Both opponents glared each other down. With Sly, once again armed with his hooked cane and Kennel, with his unsheathed sword, the two presented quite a sight. Carmelita looked between the two of them helplessly. She knew that an incredible fight was about to commence and wanted nothing right now but to get out of here and settle it. However, unable to untie herself, she was forced to lie back and watch. Inside, she was praying for Sly to win. He was the only one she could count on when it came to her needing help. He was always there for her and she was happy when he was. He showed devotion and strength she had never before witnessed.

The bunker shook even more with the incoming rounds of artillery, making the scene fall to an even more dramatic climax. But, just as the moment seemed right, the fight commenced, breaking the silence in the tight arena. Colonel Kennel charged first, sword held back and running face first, arms held out. Sly attack in return, gripping his cane in two hands, the staff held behind him as he prepared to attack. The two of them met halfway with Carmelita watching in astonishment from the sidelines. The two crossed blades. Sly struck first by leaping into the air and chopping at the Colonel with an over head swing. He struck down across the Colonel's sword which he brought up in defense. Amazingly enough he managed to hold it up with jut one hand, defending himself against Sly's attack easily. Bring it back down for further defense; Kennel blocked another strike when Sly brought his cane to his left side before swiping outwards, his cane striking the Colonel's sword with no effect whatsoever. And so, the crossing of attack continued. As Sly swung at the Colonel through clenched teeth, the Colonel blocked all his attacks with a smile, easily blocking all of Sly's attacks, backing off as Sly lashed out at him. Sly continued hammering at him, the Colonel blocking the blows by raising his sword above him to block those incoming attacks. Whenever Sly lashed out with vicious swings, the Colonel would always counter with his or merely hold his sword up to neutralize the force of all blows. His sword connected with Sly's once more, the two foes grinding their weapon into the others, glaring hatefully at each other.

With a tremendous, effortless push, the Colonel pushed Sly off, forcing him back. Then, with the raccoon staggering back, the Colonel began mercilessly lashing out at him. He approached and began attacking the raccoon, striking out at him and thrusting every so often. His swings were quick, decisive, as well as difficult for Sly to block. The raccoon was forced to block at awkward positions as the Colonel swung out at him. Spinning his sword in one hand, the Colonel spun round and sent a powerful strike at Sly's cane. Sly managed to block it and throw him off, spinning on the post and retaliating with a blow of his own. Kennel blocked it with ease, holding his sword out before suddenly, striking out at Sly, and slashing his sword across the raccoon's shoulder. The blade struck across Sly's shoulder, scarring him and drawing blood. Sly cringed at this but bit against pain, retaliating and attacking with fury. The Colonel was forced to block with a lot more effort this time against Sly's quickened efforts, the Colonel gritting his teeth as Sly struck out. Side slashes, quick spins, thrusts and over head strikes. Their blows met strike for strike, both blade and hook meeting in a clash to witness. Sparks flew when metal against metal collided and ground against each other, quick and deadly. The Colonel, continuously defending against Sly's assault began to tire. Forcing the raccoon back, he sent a slash at Sly's chest. Unable to defend himself, Sly got a quick slice straight across his chest, scarring him before receiving another at his leg. The yelped loudly and nearly crumbled under the weight of pain. But, as usual, he bit against it.

The Colonel grinned and held his sword up, ready for a over head strike. Sly prepared himself, holding his cane up in defense. The Colonel struck down, only for Sly to block the strike. He brought his sword up again and struck down once more. His blade connected with Sly's defense again, unable to break the enhanced cane. Bringing his sword up again, the Colonel continued hammering down on the smaller opponent. He repeated this over head strike over and over again, only to have each attempted left to right attack blocked. Unable to breach the raccoon's defense, he began thrusting out at the raccoon, left to right. He brought his sword back and stabbed out. Sly avoided each and every thrust. When the Colonel began lashing out at him with all sorts of crazy attacks, Sly was forced to block and avoid his attacks. Just as Sly was beginning to be backed into a corner, he figured he should do something soon. With a yell of surprise, Sly slipped out of the Colonel's attack range and retreated. Just as the Colonel brought his sword down on Sly, he was gone. His blade struck and cracked the ground. Looking to his left, the Colonel brought his sword back up and slashed out, only for Sly to leap over his blade and on top of the table. The raccoon, once he had landed had to get moving again. The Colonel wasn't giving him a moment's rest. Just as Sly hit the table, he began leaping back at a incredible speed as the Colonel gave chase, slicing at the table upwards, sawing its legs off and the table in half. He pressed on, chopping through the tables and slicing them to pieces. Wherever Sly landed, a second later he was gone whereas the table was reduced to timber. Sooner or later, Sly would be running out of tables.

When Sly reached the last, mapped out table, he leapt high into the air, avoiding a downward strike from the German shepherd. Kennel's blade cut through the table and across, sawing the legs off and sending the table to the ground in splinters. Sly had managed to jump over his opponent and, when he landed behind the Colonel, Sly spun around and swung out, striking the Colonel once in the leg and a couple more times in the back. The Colonel cried in pain, falling to his knees. He gritted his teeth, biting back against the pain. Glancing behind him, he saw Sly leap into the air and bring his cane above his head, preparing for a finishing strike. Not going to let that happen, the Colonel spun around quickly and held up his sword, blocking the over head strike that came. His defense held off against Sly's attack with a loud clang. The Colonel grinned evilly down at his opponent, seeing Sly sweating and frustrated. The raccoon scowled up at the Colonel and so from there, honed in on his assault. Backing off, the Colonel was on his feet and defending once more. With all obstacles reduced to nothing, a full on assault was free to commence.

Sly slashed out with, attacking the Colonel. His lightning fast strike was blocked when the Colonel held his sword up and stood to the side, all with a single hand. He blocked the swift blow easily and so, continued back off, holding his sword up and presenting Sly with a target. The raccoon attacked with a side-upwards strike, swiping at the sword again. He slashed at it, again, again, again, again and again! All were to no avail. He then began pressing on further when the Colonel stopped, slashing out left, right, up down, left, right, left, right, side to side, left, right! His hook connected with the Colonel's blade who easily blocked all of his strikes by holding up his sword to wherever the raccoon struck. Sly's attacks may have been quick, swift and far more agile then the Colonel's, but Kennel was still the stronger. The Colonel was fast as well and had many other attributes on his side. He continuously blocked out every attack Sly attempted. The raccoon's efforts were wasting away. It appears the raccoon has met his match.

After viciously lashing out at the Colonel, Sly brought his cane back for a thrust. The hook end of his cane sparkled brightly with electrical energy. Charging up this new attack, he launched it at the Colonel. Kennel was prepared for this. He parried Sly's thrust to the side and, bringing his other hand to his belt, drew his knife. Spinning around, he closed in on the raccoon, and struck out at the same shoulder he had struck Sly before. He slashed across Sly's arm just below the shoulder, injuring the raccoon. Sly yelled in pain and fell to the ground, having his cane knocked to the ground by Kennel's parry. Looking up, he saw the Colonel sheath back his knife swiftly and bring his sword up in an over head strike, preparing for the final attack. He brought it down, swiftly. However, just as he did, Sly brought his cane up to defend, their weapons locking. There was a loud crack as the two weapons locked to a stand still. Both their arms trembled as they stayed in those positions. Through gritted teeth, the two fought tooth and nail against each other's strengths. But no matter how hard they tried, their forces cancelled out as they were almost exactly the same. Sly managed to slow the Colonel's momentum, pushing him back up with whatever strength he could muster. The grinding of metal against the hard staff was heard, making squeaky noises that was quite irritating. Carmelita watched the fight eagerly and with worry.

Kennel chuckled through gritted teeth and a grin, his eyes burning with determination. Sly's eyes burned in a similar fashion but his efforts strained his thoughts. Sweat was pouring down his forehead from the pressure the Colonel was putting on him. "Aye, you got a lot of cuss Cooper. You better hope it is enough to last you throughout this fight!" the Colonel growled under stress. Sly let out a low groan and with a shout, he threw the Colonel off of him. His arms and legs might be aching but he still had strength. After throwing back the Colonel, Sly lashed out at him, forcing him back more to avoid his attack. The Colonel then suddenly spun around in a pivot motion and sent his sword slashing straight for Sly's neck. Sly saw this coming and ducked low, crouching under the attack. The Colonel's sword passed him in a full on miss and when it did, Sly took the chance. He leapt high into the air almost touching the ceiling before plummeting straight for his opponent, cane held up in a over head strike. The Colonel spotted the raccoon heading straight for him and gasped.

Sly let out a tremendous cry as he brought his cane down on the Colonel, only to have his attack stopped and the force neutralized when the Colonel brought his sword up and blocked the attack. There was a loud, echoing clang as the weapons connected, sending vibrations through both competitors. Sly looked up through bruises and cuts before pushing off of the Colonel's weapon and back to the ground several meters away. The raccoon was puzzled. "My tremendous horse cut technique should have destroyed your sword…"

The Colonel grinned and held up the blade of his sword to Sly's eyes. It was then when the raccoon spotted some inscriptions. These were no ordinary inscriptions. They were German but bore a spell like engraving on it. Kennel chuckled. "Do you not recognize this, Cooper? This vas the same sword my grandfather used against your ancestor! That final battle, vhat a fight!" The Colonel then roared with a bark and leapt at Sly, lashing out at him. Sly gasped and leapt back in a back flip, avoiding the attack and landing a few meters away. The Colonel followed, continuously attacking out at him with speed and strength. Sly had trouble blocking each and every blow this time and, when he was backed up into the wall, he quickly ducked when the Colonel slashed at his head. When that was accomplished, he slipped under the Colonel's legs, ending up behind the Colonel again. When he was back on his feet Sly spun around and lashed out at the Colonel's back. His cane struck and cracked against Kennel's spine, bruising him badly. The Colonel growled in agony and spun around, slashing out blindly. Sly leapt back again to evade the Colonel's sudden strike.

Sly flinched, feeling the Colonel's temper rise. "Your grandfather failed, and so will you!" The Colonel grinned and suddenly, drew his knife. Sly gasped, seeing the Colonel pull back his fist and, un-cranking himself, threw a thrust strike forward. Kennel jabbed out sharply with that attack and nearly hit his opponent. Sly was lucky to have leapt back at this otherwise he would have suffered a lethal chest cutting operation. That attack had great force in it. He was lucky his reflexes were in tune. Dropping into a defensive stance, the raccoon prepared for another attack. The Colonel twirled the knife between his fingers before throwing it straight at Sly's head. It flew faster then a speeding bullet and Sly was lucky he had such good reflexes. Leaning to the side sharply, he avoided the knife when it came whizzing straight past him. The knife embedded itself in the wall meters back, its blade penetrating the solid concrete. Sly eyed the knife that had passed him in shock, only to pull his eyes back to kennel when he sensed him approach.

Sly let out a gasp of surprise and held up his cane in one hand to defend himself from the attacks to come. The Colonel sent more slice and slash attacks his way with precision and speed. His attacks were swift and flawless. Sly gritted his teeth as he threw his cane into action, blocking all of the attacks and making sure his fingers weren't cut off. After tiring of this chase game, Sly retaliated, slicing quickly out at the Colonel. The German shepherd was quick and avoided all of Sly's attacks, which seemed quite impossible. After avoiding Sly's attacks he countered with his own, lashing out at Sly so fast that Carmelita couldn't even keep up. Sly amazingly enough was able to dodge them, but with a little difficulty. Taking the advantage of Sly's step back, the Colonel spun around and came up with a surprise, back slash, his blade moving in a clockwise motion. The blade cut across Sly's torso, not deep but enough to draw blood. Sly yelped in pain, his legs trembling from the shock of the moment. The Colonel then came in with a punch, hammering the low across Sly's face. He came in with an elbow, then a knee, another punch, a hook, a upper cut and a finishing punch. All blows were aimed for Sly's face and were really powerful. The last blow sent Sly hurling back through the air where he stopped on the ground several meters away.

Carmelita gasped, fearful for Sly's safety and well being. She watched the fight with teary eyes, the blows Sly was suffering causing her heart to stab against her and sending bolts of pain through her own body, on top of everything else. She couldn't just sit here and watch Sly get hurt. She had to help him! But she couldn't.

Helplessly, she watched as Kennel approached the fallen raccoon, Sly staggering to his feet over throbbing pain and sore muscles. The German shepherd smirked as he watched his arch enemy groan in agony. Sly's pain and suffering sustained him. Stopping just ten meters from his opponent, the Colonel twirled his sword in his hand before finishing in a defensive stance. He directed the blade towards his opponent, smirking wildly. He felt the moment of glorious victory coming to him. After Sly's death, he could finally avenge his family's losses.

He grinned with malice down at the raccoon, his eyes flashing. "Soon, your cane vill be no match against the legacy of the Kennel's", the Colonel stated, his sword shining brightly. No damage had been done to either of their weapons but the pair had suffered worse, and he clearly showed. Sly growled through clenched teeth, his fists balling and his ringed tail dancing behind him.

"That's where you're wrong!" Sly yelled, his voice trembling with him. The Colonel snorted and spun his sword round before holding it behind him in an attack stance. With that, he charged, sprinting straight for his opponent. Sly reacted to this quickly and so, sprinted back at his opponent, cane held behind him in a similar visual attack. When the two met each other in the centre, they fought again.

Blades flashed with the sounds of clanging and slicing echoing within the concrete bunker as they exchanged deadly blows. Carmelita watched their weapons flash around them fast as they assumed attack poses with every assault they launched. They averted from defensive to offensive, giving back ten times more then what they had received. Colonel Kennel pressed on on his opponent, forcing him back. Sly blocked and avoided all his attacks before coming back with more ferocity then ever before. His cane spun in his hands before he struck out swiftly, left to right, upwards, downwards. All strikes he could ever initiate were taken into action with the Colonel having to block them with a little bit more difficulty then previous assaults he defended against. His sword was brought to bare! It neutralized all of Sly's strikes before it came in for the attack. The silver blade swung through the air, making barely visible slash shadows through the air that followed the blade. Sly blocked every one, his golden hook also making motion shadows through the air wherever it was swung. The two of them performed moves that seemed impossible, attacking at all angles and at all possible moments. Sparks flew in their clash, the full force of their anger, concentration, strength and skill brought out in this singular brawl. Sly was gradually becoming better and better, adjusting to this type of fierce fighting situation while the Colonel was gradually forced back. Even though he was trying with little effort to block Sly's strikes, he had to put a lot more effort if he was to attack his opponent. His cape blew behind him with each swing, his hulking bulk overshadowing Sly's by meters.

This fight continued on for some time with both opponents gaining ground on each other. They moved back forth quickly across the room. Carmelita followed them as they passed her back and forth. Her eyes widened as she captured every moment of the fight. Never in her life had she seen such skill and ferocity. Seriously, after all the shit she had seen, this had got to be the greatest fight ever witnessed.

The two weaved through the concrete pillars and passed many damaged obstacles, the two constantly swinging blades at each other. Sly ducked, side stepped and avoided all the Colonel's over done shots. He had to duck sharply when the Colonel swung at him with a less concentrated attack. Even so, his blade still made connection with a concrete pillar beside them. The blade sliced into a pipeline, sawing it open where it spilled its contents out into the bunker. A non-flammable gas spilled out, covering the two in the hot condensation. The two ignored the burning hor fumes and so continued brawling, moving back and back. Sly didn't realize this, but now he was heading towards the exit of the bunker. The doors were closed. When Sly blocked another of the Colonel's vicious assaults, he came in with a spin attack, level 3. The electricity enhanced hooked generated a blue glow as he spun round like a tornado, knocking the Colonel's sword away and striking the Colonel in the torso once, twice, three times and even tern times more. The Colonel had the air knocked out of him from the attack and he was forced back, gripping his front and sides. With a yell of rage, he sprinted straight at his opponent when Sly stopped arms out in a clothes line like technique. He tackled the shocked raccoon and sent both of them straight through the steal doors. Breaking through the shock proof doors was not easy, especially on Sly since he was the victim to this unexpected attack. He yelled in pain when they were sent through the doorway. Carmelita, seeing them disappear beyond the door was now left alone…

After tackling Sly to the ground beyond the door where, on the other side, was guarded by two Verfügungstruppen SS troops. The two guards, armed with MP 40's were surprised when they saw the door burst down and immediately, brought their weapons up to fire. Suddenly, they realized that it was Kennel and Sly brawling right in front of them, preventing them from attacking. Sly, now pinned by his opponent, brought his feet up and pressed them against Kennel's chest. With mighty effort, he kicked the dog off of him, sending him to the ground a meter away on his back. With a bit more effort, Sly threw his legs back and leapt to his feet, dropping into a fighting stance. When he saw the two SS guards directing sub-machine guards to him, the thief stood in surprise. The Colonel on the other hand, managed to get back to his feet and stand in the way of the guards, surprising the two SS soldiers. He growled in rage, his bottom lip bleeding. "Stand back! Don't shoot! He's mine!!!" the Colonel roared, launching himself at Sly and lashing out at the raccoon. The guards heeded the Colonel's order and stepped down. Instead of performing their duties, they watched the fight at hand.

Sly leapt to the side and landed against the wall, pushing off it and flying to the other side, just barely avoiding the slashing blade of the Colonel's. Kennel growled in irritation and chased after his opponent. After kicking off the other wall, Sly rolled along the hallway before positioning himself in another fighting stance, backing off all the same. When Kennel reached him, another fight issued as they engaged. Blades and canes flashed through the air at each other as they fought again. Sly backed up as the Colonel assaulted him relentlessly. Kennel grunted with each attack he launched, forcing Sly back and back. A attack to Sly's legs made the raccoon leap into the air and counter with an overhead swing. The Colonel got hit in the shoulder and shouted in agony. With the sore gone, he struck out swiftly. Sly back-flipped out of the line of danger and continued backing away as the Colonel pressed on. Swinging his blade out in all directions, the Colonel attacked. Sly made little effort to block these sloppy strikes but continued to retreat. Kennel was still a dangerous opponent and Sly made sure he was out of harms way.

When they reached the end of the corridor that split into a 'T' junction with one hall going to the left and another going right, Sly was left to decide which way to go. When the Colonel stabbed out at him with his sword, the raccoon was forced to take one route. He went right. Ducking underneath the attack, he rolled out down one of the hallways and stood back up, preparing to defend against the next assault. Kennel roared with anger and slashed out at him with more ferocity then before. His blade whizzed quickly through the air like a whirlwind, Sly avoiding most of the strikes but every now and then, bringing his cane up to block the attacks that came at him. Moving left to right, he avoided overhead blows aimed at his head, But when the Colonel started attacking to the sides, Sly was forced to duck under the attacks. The Colonel's sword scraped against the walls of the hallway, scarring the walls badly and opening them up, revealing bunches of wires and pipelines. More sparks flew as they battled on, Sly retaliating every moment he could to try and force the Colonel back but only succeeding in urging the German shepherd on. The Colonel slashed out again, hitting the walls around them and causing more sparks to blind their view. Gas shot out of pipes that were sliced open, covering them in cold or hot blankets of deadly fumes. Still, with the danger of flammable gases being set alight in clear view, the two fought on. They moved at a rapid, fast walking pace down the hall, Sly backing off as fast as he could with the Colonel in hot pursuit. Sly struck out at the Colonel's side, only for the large dog to block that blow and attacking with a swing to Sly's head. His sword his nothing but whatever he did, he always pressed on. They moved down quickly, disappearing into the darkness. When they reemerged into a more lit area, the two had found themselves in an underground cavern. Things had just gotten hotter.

Moving along the railings, the two noticed they had moved into a massive cave formation. Stalagmites and stalactites hung or sat everywhere, with numerous other walkways coming up here and there, moving across the most dangerous part of this hot place below. Boiling hot lava bubbled at the base of the cave with smoke and heat waves rising into the air. Though, as dangerous and as hot as it was, the two warriors continued to fight.

Making their way across the walkway, the Colonel and Sly slashed their weapons into each other. More sparks flew, not just from their weapons impacting against each other but also from loose wires hanging high above. Both the Colonel and Sly started sweating with each of their faces becoming flushed from the heat. They ignored their scorching temperatures and continued fighting. The Colonel sliced at Sly's head, the raccoon ducking that and ramming the tip of his cane into the Kennel's torso. Kennel chocked when the blow struck him and he reeled over, his chin getting slammed when Sly elbowed him in the face. Staggering back, the SS officer charged at Sly again and attacked with an overhead swing. Sly stepped back the Colonel's sword striking the metal surface of the walkway where he used to be standing. This sent sparks falling into the lava far below. Just as the sparks touched the bubbly surface of the lava, there was a massive shockwave and a rumbling sound. Suddenly, a pillar of lava shot straight into the air, exploding just beside the walkway and sending its hot liquids everywhere.

Unfazed by the falling magma, the two of them brawled on. The Colonel flung his sword down at Sly while Sly struck upwards. Both combatants grabbed the wrists of the other and held each other in that position, grappling. Under the heat of the atmosphere around them, the Colonel managed to fling Sly over the edge of the walkway. Fortunately for Sly, the swift raccoon hooked his cane round one of the overhanging supports and in so doing, threw himself to another walkway far below, closer to the boiling lava. Sly landed close to the heart of the heat and growled, looking back to the walkway he had fallen from. It was when he glanced over his shoulder did he see the Colonel suddenly land behind him on the same walkway, sword held behind him and a menacing look edged on his flushed, sweaty face.

The two turned to each other again and faced each other off. This stand down was not to last very long either. The moment broke when the two ran at each other, weapons bared. They crossed paths swiftly, striking out at their opponents but also defending themselves against their adversary's weapon. Clanging rang out, sending more sparks everywhere with the impact of blade on cane. Sly and Colonel battled through gritted teeth, advancing on the other. But as the fight brawled on with both of them swinging deadly strikes at the other, Kennel began to lose ground. Too hot under pressure and losing strength, the Colonel began to back off. Sly lashed out at him ferociously, spinning his cane in his hands and striking out at his blade. The Colonel, holding his sword in his right hand tried his best to block. When he suddenly had his foot knocked from under him, he fell to his knees, his free hand gripping the railing of the walkway for support. Sly began to mercilessly hammer away at the Colonel's blade, more sparks flying. With a final hit, he knocked the blade out of a defensive position and then smacked the Colonel in the chest. Kennel hunched over, the breath knocked out of him before suddenly getting kicked in the face, sending him onto his back.

Sly stood over him, hook end of his cane nudging up underneath kennel's chin. The German shepherd shuffled back as Sly approached. Just when the Colonel had shuffled back several meters, his look of fear turned into a scowl and he glared up at Sly. With a kick, he knocked the raccoon back before scrambling to his feet. Repositioning himself, Sly and Kennel attacked each other once more. This time, Sly was forced back as the Colonel advanced with his assault. The fight took them out of the boiling hot cave and took them back into the deep interior of the hallways making up the labyrinth of the large complex known as Clockwerk's fortress. They fought and fought, weaving through hallway after hallway. It was like this fight could go on for ages. Eyes were drawn to the fight from German soldiers moving around the volcano and, in anticipation to the end of the fight, followed them.

The fight was soon brought outside to the very top of the volcano just above the command bunker. This lookout had been set up to oversee the construction sight of the base, but now that it was being ruthlessly bombarded by Foreign Legion artillery, it was all deserted. Whatever the case, Kennel and Sly brought their fight out into the open. After emerging from the dark depths of the volcano, they battled more viciously. Sly leapt around the Colonel, now more free to move around and fight. However, now that they were outside, the Colonel also gained another handicap. Here, they were free to do as much destruction as possible, giving both of them an edge. Sly leapt and sprinted around the area as the Colonel slashed out at him, advancing. However, blocking the Colonel's assault, Sly attacked again. His cane spun through the air like a whirlwind against the Colonel's blade. He repeatedly struck the Colonel's sword, pushing him back to the very brink of breaking. However, the Colonel blocked out Sly's assault and forced him back after a brief grapple. Back flipping, Sly landed in a defensive stance, his eyes locking with his opponent's. He got quite a shock when the Colonel suddenly pulled back his sword and charged it in a similar fashion to when Sly charged his spin attack level 3.

The blade on the Colonel's sword glowed a bright orange, surrounded by a flame like effect. When it reached maximum strength, the Colonel swung his sword out at Sly in his own spin attack level. He spun straight at Sly like a twister, his sword outstretched in attack. Sly held up his cane and blocked the repeated blows. Slowly, as the Colonel's attack continued, Sly was pushed back. Putting more effort into his defense, Sly caught the Colonel's blade in his cane and with a yell, he flung his cane at the Colonel's head. However, when Sly attacked, the Colonel was already finished with his assault and was able to defend himself. Blocking Sly's blow, Kennel stepped back, now in a defensive stance, his sword still held in one hand. Honing in on his attacks, Sly slashed out at the Colonel with repeated over head strikes, side attacks, and thrusts. But every attack the raccoon attempted he failed miserably, his cane blocked by all of the Colonel's defenses.

He finished with a final, powered up spin attack level 1, his cane thumping against the Colonel's sword. Sly's cane grinded against the Colonel's when he stopped spinning and, by this time, Sly was exhausted. He had spent up all his energy and was now panting heavily. Sweat dripped down Sly's bruise face and his muscles ached. He had suffered enough already. The Colonel smirked when he saw Sly's sloppiness and chuckled.

"You are no match…Sly Cooper…"

With a low growl, Sly pushed the Colonel away from him, throwing the German shepherd away. Sprinting up to his opponent, Sly attacked again. The Colonel was prepared. Holding his sword out at an angle, he blocked Sly's over head strike. He then held it up parallel to block the side swings before side stepping around one of Sly's thrusts and striking down at Sly with an overhead swing of his own. Sly blocked this and slipped out of the Colonel's central line. Kennel was prepared, and attacked Sly with a swing to his neck, an overhead swing and a upward slash. Sly ducked and avoided those attacks and stepped to the side. Leaping into the air, the raccoon came back down at the Colonel with a charged up, chop strike. His cane struck the Colonel's sword when he held it up, Sly landing behind his opponent with a light thud. Just as he was about to come back at his opponent, the Colonel kicked behind him, slamming his foot into Sly's side. He sent the raccoon hurling through the air where he landed on top of the bunker several meters away down hill.

Sly's body lay there for a few minutes, the raccoon trembling with pain and agony from the brutality he had pushed himself to. Staggering to his feet, Sly tried to pull his cane up into a defensive stance. His weakened state prevented him from doing so; he could barely hold his weapon. Sly's left eye was shut, while his other eye was opened half lidded. The raccoon groaned and panted. Kennel smirked down at the raccoon and spun his sword in his hand before reaching into his utility belt underneath his cape and drawing some unknown weapon. He grinned down at the raccoon as he did so.

"My victory is assured. You vill not survive today, Cooper", the Colonel stated. Sly growled and glared up at Kennel more hatefully. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled his cane up and brought it to bare at Kennel in a menacing way. He may be battered, bruised and cut everywhere, but he was still fit to fight.

"You may be strong, but I have one common goal like everyone else! I will defeat you, Kennel!' Sly shouted. The Colonel smirked, flipping the pin from his stick grenade.

"Sure you vill, Cooper", he retorted. Just as Sly was sprinting at him, the Colonel tossed him the grenade. Sly, believing it was another knife, ducked, seeing the stick grenade soar over him. He glanced over his shoulder towards the roof of the bunker, seeing the stick like grenade land several feet away from him. His eyes widened in shock and he turned away, covering himself. The grenade exploded with tremendous force, sending debris, smoke and dust everywhere. A pillar of smoke rose into the air above them as the grenade punched a hole right in the roof of the bunker.

Sly was safe. When he looked back, he saw the gaping hole that was made. It was still smoking slightly but he could see the massive hole made. Scowling a bit, he looked back to where Kennel was. It came to a shock to him when he saw the Colonel right in front of him and he looked up. Faster then even he could react, Sly was suddenly kicked in the stomach. The blow sent the raccoon and his cane falling into the hole of the bunker. Sly fell through, plummeting to the ground below. There was a loud thud when Sly fell front first right on the ground, dust and debris covering him. For a moment a remained lifeless, but when he looked up, his body began to tremble again. He groaned and growled as he pushed himself up, his right eye opening up to see where he was. To his amazement, he was back in the bunker where the fight had started. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Carmelita there, a rather bewildered and worried look on her face. She gasped in disbelief when she saw Sly stagger back to his feet.

"Oh my God, Sly, what happened? Are you alright", Carmelita asked loudly. Sly chuckled and sent her one of his symbolic grins. Carmelita couldn't help but feel more drawn to him this way, even though the situation was desperate.

"I'm fine, just got the crap beat out of me", he replied above the pain coursing through his system. Just as he turned around, Kennel suddenly came down from above. The SS Nazi landed right in front of Sly, the giant dog slamming a fist right across Sly's face and sending him into the wall meters away. Sly hit the wall hard and slid down it a bit. Looking to his side, he saw that the Colonel's knife was embedded in the wall beside him, catching his attention. After looking at it for a moment, he stood back up, using the wall for support. When he was back on his feet, he suddenly felt a massive pressure placed against his shoulder and he was pressed against the wall roughly. He groaned in agony when he saw the Colonel, pinning him to the wall. Sly found himself hanging several feet off the ground, feeling more like a rag doll then a master thief. The Colonel's sword was held up with its tip pointing right at Sly's face and his left hand holding Sly up.

Kennel leered up at Sly menacingly, his face just as bruised as Sly's. "I didn't break you did I? Because that comes later…"

Sly grinned amusingly down at the Colonel, trying to enlighten the situation for him. "No…"

The Colonel grinned and cranked back his weapon, wanting to finish his opponent. "Very vell, I'll kill you instead…"

Before The Gestapo leader could strike, Sly brought himself back into attack. Having held back enough, the raccoon suddenly brought his knee up and struck Kennel across the face, sending him staggering back. The Colonel let out a roar of rage and stood his ground once more, dropping in a fighting stance. With Sly back on his feet, the raccoon brought his cane to bear and exchanged glares with his opponent. Carmelita was amazed none to say the least and watched what would happen next. The Colonel backed off a bit more, his expression more fearful then angered. Sly smirked confidently, knowing that more brutal fighting would follow.

Moving to his very last resort, the Colonel pulled out a radio link from underneath his jacket and switched it on. He grinned up at the raccoon before looking back at his com-link. "Lieutenant…activate Clockverk and set him loose! Ve vin this var now!!!" Sly looked at the Colonel in shock when the German shepherd set down his radio and smiled up at him. The dog's eyes glinted with success. "It seems that I have von this battle Sly, no matter vhat. Vith Clockverk resurrected once more, ve vill tear you to shreds!!"

Sly growled in frustration. This was not good. "NOOO!!!"

Knowing that the raccoon would attack him, the Colonel glanced to his side. There, he saw his pistol lying a few feet away, covered in dust and sitting amongst some rubble. With a last glance up at his opponent, he then spun round and made his way to his weapon. Sly reacted to this immediately and sprinted straight for the Colonel. Kennel was too fast. Leaping for his gun, he rolled across the ground and stood up, pointing it straight at Sly, stopping the raccoon in his tracks. Sly stared at the Colonel fearfully for the moment, seeing the Nazi leader panting with effort. Their eyes met in yet another staring contest, another stand off. This time, it was a stand off between life and death.

The Colonel smirked, nodding in understanding. "I am avare that I am unable to hurt you, Cooper, let alone hit you. So, I vill hit the thing vhere your heart sits most! I may be beaten, but I'll make you suffer!!!" He started to move the gun so that its sights locked onto Carmelita. The vixen gasped and shut her eyes, looking away. Sly yelled and sprinted straight in the line of fire Kennel had on now, form a blur.

"NO! NOT HER!!"

There was a loud bang and as a shot was fired the firing hammer pulled back and locked into place. That was the last round. The bullet shot through the air straight to where Carmelita lay bounded, the vixen keeping her eyes shut. Just as the bullet was within reach, Sly suddenly jumped into its path, the round striking him in the left shoulder and pushing him back. Sly rammed into the side of the table Carmelita was on before slumping to the ground, letting out a groan. His right hand gripped his left arm as pain throbbed through him. Carmelita gasped again and opened her eyes, looking to see what had happened. Instantaneously, she saw Sly lying against the table at the base. She feared the worst and spoke to him, her eyes wavering with building up tears.

"Sly…Sly…?"

Sly growled and stood up, Carmelita still worrying for him. "I'm…fine Carm, just…got the wind knocked out of me", Sly managed to force out, getting to his feet with his cane in hand. Carmelita sighed in relief, but when they saw the Colonel begin to pull out a new magazine, it made things worse.

Quickly, not wanting for the Colonel to gain the upper hand again, Sly sprinted straight for him, cane in hand and an angered look on his face. Sly bit back pain and exhaustion just to push those few last efforts in. With a new magazine shoved into his weapon, the Colonel loaded his Lugar and pointed it at the approaching raccoon. When Sly was in his crosshairs, he fired. The shot rang out loudly, but it missed. The bullet missed Sly entirely when the raccoon leapt into the air and spun round, shocking the Colonel. With a loud yell, Sly sent a strong, powerful kick into Kennel's chest. The Colonel caught the full force of it and, with the force adding up to his loss of balance, he was sent hurling straight into the window behind him. The firing slot of the bunker was large enough for the Colonel to fit through. With the sound of glass shattering, the Colonel was sent through the window and out the bunker. The Colonel plummeted from that high elevated point and, gathering speed, began to fall to his doom.

Sly got to the bunker window and, looking down, saw the final fate of the once powerful Colonel. Kennel stared up at Sly with a mixture of anger, failure and fear, his cloaked shadow form illuminated clearly. He let out one last yell before he fell into the hot, lava pit opening up far below, the flames engulfing him in a fiery hell. "COOOOOOPPEEEEEEEERRRRR!!!" His voice vanished in a burst of fire, his body vanishing completely from sight. Sly cringed when that pillar of fire ended the Colonel's life and sighed.

With a final glance down at the boiling lava lake, he looked back into the bunker. Slowly, he staggered back to where Carmelita bounded. He limped along sluggishly, his face dipped and a sorrow filled expression in play. He was glad that his fight was over and now he could finally claim his prize, something worth more then weight in gold and treasures. Carmelita watched Sly with concern as he came to her. Seeing the cuffs that bound Carmelita down, Sly sighed and picked up one of the massive locks. All he had to do was spin in several times before it cracked open. He did this for every one, too tired to even crack them open with his cane. He could have done that exact thing, but for Carmelita, he had to do it delicately. Even though she was tough and strong, she was still fragile underneath.

Like the gentleman he was, he carefully pulled Carmelita to her feet, the raccoon suddenly collapsing to the ground in a crumpled heap. Carmelita gasped and knelt down, resting her hands on Sly's arm and looking into his face with worry. Sly groaned and panted, trying to pull himself up. But all he could do now was lie against the interrogation table and stay put. Carmelita's feelings for Sly stood strong and she wrapped her arms around him slowly. In a show of affection and comfort, she rested her head against his chest and nuzzled him gently. Sly looked down at her with half surprise.

Carmelita looked up at him, giving him a small smile. "Sly…thank you…"

Sly smiled back but then shuddered, groaning sharply when he felt another bolt of pain shoot through him. Carmelita sucked in air, fearing that she had hurt him. When he eased up, she placed a hand behind his neck and pulled herself towards him, seeing his eyes staring into her own. "I'm sorry, Sly…I didn't mean to be such a burden on you…" She leaned up towards his closed lips and gently gave him a gentle, soft kiss of affection, her eyes closing. Sly didn't return it though, and just let Carmelita kiss him. When the kiss ended seconds later, Carmelita pulled back and smiled lovingly at him. "Will you forgive me…?"

Sly stared back at her momentarily, then smiled kindly as always his right eye half-lidded. "You know I can never blame you, Carmelita. I care for you a lot…I can never bare seeing you get hurt…I should be sorry for not being there for you…"

Carmelita sighed softly. "If we forgive each other, will we be even then…"

Sly didn't take it into though and agreed immediately, his head nodding ever so slightly. "Whatever you want, Carmelita…"

Smiling, the two drew themselves into a hug, embracing each other for what seemed like an eternity. In so doing, they pulled there lips together and shared a much tender, heated kiss. And there they lay…unaware of what danger had just been released.

Somewhere, deep within the catacombs of the volcano base, an evil had just been awakened. Strained up by chains supported above a power generator, the eyes of a giant mechanical owl crackled to life. A golden, spine chilling glow emerged from them as its eyes opened up with a whizz of gears. When both eye lids were open, the beak of the giant beast opened up, letting out a loud, echoing screech that shook the entire volcano…

Clockwerk has returned…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. Chapter 8

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 8

There was a massive, earth trembling rumble, throwing the entire volcano into chaos. Sly and Carmelita were pulled out of their embrace to the sounds of this and out of pure instincts, looked towards the bunker window. They thought that it was Kennel back from the dead. But as it would turn out, it was someone far worse. On his own without assistance, Sly forced himself to his feet. Using his cane for support, he staggered over to the bunker window and gazed out through the foggy glass. When his eyes gazed out onto the volcano's surface, he saw nothing first. There were just a lot of boulders, pillars of rock, cliffs, destroyed vehicles and wrecked equipment. There were no telltale signs of the source of the massive explosion except for the artillery shells dropping all around. Carmelita also joined Sly at the bunker's firing slot and looked out.

The only reasonable explanation for the explosion was if a artillery shell landed right on top of them. But the pair of them would have heard the whistle of the approaching shell and would have reacted to it in time to avoid it. No shell had burst through the roof of the concrete housing and now walls were caving in around them. It seemed as if the explosion was caused by the volcano. That thought was soon forgotten.

In the midst of the falling artillery, the ground somewhere along the ash ridden top of the volcano suddenly split open. Bursting out of the opening ground was, not just a orange, bright light and the splattering of escaping lava, but a gigantic, mythological creature that Sly immediately identified as his one true foe. The metal glazed chassis and form of the owl shot out of the crack, covered in magma and smoking from the heat. The giant bird's golden eyes were shot open and glowed through the darkness, its wings spreading outwards to become silhouetted against the dark, cloudy sky. There was a bellowing screech and an earth trembling uproar as the bird flew up into the air. It spun round several times, shaking off the lava before suddenly leveling out in the air. it dived sharply for the volcano and then pulled up into a glide, its head cranked forward and beak gaping wide. Sly trembled at the sight of the beast.

"Clockwerk…" Sly whispered, fear struck.

The massive bird let out another screech, but this one was accompanied by the identifiable voice of Sly's nightmares. It was deep, metallic and cold, just like the insides of a clock. _**"SLY COOOOOPPPPPEEEEEEEEEERRR!!!"**_ the bird roared into the darkened skies. _**"WHERE ARE YOUUUUUU!!!?"**_

Sly and Carmelita stared with fear struck expressions at the bird flying through the hot air above the volcano. Beads of sweat dripped down their foreheads and temples. This was not just because of the heat, it was also because of the fear they felt coursing through them. It may have been hot, but they were suddenly frozen on the inside. The thing they had hoped they had destroyed years before was back. This time, he was far stronger then ever.

"T-This is bad", Carmelita chocked out, backing off a few steps away from the window. Sly glared out the bunker window towards the giant owl. Clockwerk's shadow cast over the entire volcano, as if he were the demon of darkness itself. The raccoon thief had no intention of crumbling to the ground just yet. Even though he was scared out of his mind, he still had the power of his ancestor's inside of him. That gave him the strength he needed.

"It's not over yet Carmelita. Hang on!" Sly pressed his finger to his ear and switched on his communicator. Making sure he was connected with Bentley and not with anything else by mistake, Sly made contact. "Bentley, are you there? Please respond."

"_**Gah! Sly! Clockwerk's back! We're too late!"**_ Sly grumbled that Bentley had pierced his ear with his shouting again and continued on as per usual.

"Calm down pal. Listen, are you and Murray alright?" Sly asked. He could hear the sounds of rapid gunfire in the distance, as well as hear it over his ear piece communicator. "You guys sound like you're right in the heat of the battle."

"_**We're fine Sly, that's just the German army welcoming the French at their front door. What's your current position? Did you manage to save Carmelita",**_ Bentley asked over the artillery fire. It was easy to tell that he and Murray were getting thrown about in the van, what with the static and everything. Sly was concerned for his friends' safety, as well as what the future would hold from this point on. They had even worse troubles to deal with.

"Yeah, she's alright. You two don't sound good though. Get yourselves out of there and meet at the rendezvous point on the double! Murray, that's your job!" Sly shouted. Murray's voice crackled to life over the same frequency and Sly was relieved that he was sounding as positive as ever.

"_**We're on our way Sly! The radar says that you're still inside the command bunker! We need you to get out of there as quick as you can! We're sitting ducks if we stay in one place too long. It won't be long till an 88 mm decides to mark us."**_ Sly nodded over on his end. Carmelita was listening Sly speak with his friends from the sidelines, hoping something good will be brought out of their current situation.

"We're getting used to that Murray. See you in five minutes. Oh, and Bentley…"

"_**Yah Sly",**_ Bentley replied. Sly smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"There is no way we'll be able to take Clockwerk down without some additional fire power. I think its time to bring old Matilda out", Sly said. Bentley chuckled over on his end, the same devious look on his face he used whenever Sly hatched one of his sinister schemes that even he could follow. Needless to say, Bentley was just as eager.

"_**Don't worry Sly. As soon as you get down here to us, I'll have the old girl out before you can even say 'dead duck'",**_ Bentley replied loudly with enthusiasm edged in his voice. Sly nodded and disconnected, turning to Carmelita with a serious look on his face. No longer was he in the mood for playing games. It just wasn't the time for it. Carmelita looked back in puzzlement.

"I just called my friends in. Come on, we have to get down to the pill box at the base. I'm afraid this war is going to go on a little longer then I expected", Sly stated. With an understanding nod from the vixen, the two of them set off through the base. Sprinting side by side with each other, they weaved their way through the complex of halls making up Clockwerk's fort. Along the way, Carmelita wanted to clear things up a little.

"Listen Sly, I know that you've been through a lot already and that you saved my life, but that still doesn't mean we're…umm…a couple. Remember, you're a thief and I'm a cop, something has got to be done about it," Carmelita explained as they ran down one of the dark corridors. Sly grinned and looked over at the fox.

"Carmelita, just because we're on opposite sides of the law, it doesn't change the fact that you and I share feelings for each other. Sometimes you've just got to let the truth come out instead of just bottling it up. It can make you sick", Sly said. Carmelita frowned and looked ahead of her again, a little worried.

"I know, I know", she replied, looking back at Sly a second later. "I'm not denying that I like you Sly, it's just that…it will be hard for it to work out between us." Sly smirked and glanced over at her.

"Carmelita, do you honestly believe it will be _that_ hard", Sly asked. Carmelita stared at him for a moment then smiled. She looked away with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Unless you have something in mind…"

Sly smiled and looked back to the path ahead of them. "I'll tell you later, for now, we have to get to the van", Sly replied. With a quick spin, the two turned into the staircase that made its way up the inside of the SS base. Quickly, the two scampered down the stairs, their footsteps echoing up the large shaft. It was at this time Carmelita had another question pop up in her mind, and she wanted to ask Sly about it.

"Sly, exactly what is this…'Matilda'", she asked. Sly smirked, glancing over at Carmelita again as they continued their downward sprint.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. She's been with the gang since we went into the 'business'…"

* * *

_**Outside the pill box base**_

It may have taken a while, but Sly and Carmelita eventually got to the rendezvous point. Reaching the ammo storage room wasn't hard; it was getting out of the pillbox. It took a lot of muscle to get through the steel door. With the combined strength of a weakened Sly and a refreshed Carmelita, they eventually got through. Upon exiting out onto the ash ridden ground of the volcanic summit, the two of them were greeted by Murray and Bentley. The pair of them was stationed at the ready on the drive through just outside the exit of the pillbox bunker. Murray was in the driver's seat and Bentley was in the passenger's seat, both of them waiting patiently for Sly and Carmelita.

When Sly and Carmelita emerged out into the open, Sly was overjoyed already to see his friends still in one piece. Even though they did look a bit grimy and dirty from their previous battle, they were as alive as ever. Sly was also overjoyed to see his and his gang's most cherished arsenal built on top of the van itself. Carmelita was a little startled at what she saw.

"Guys, you're here already", Sly shouted in delight as he waltzed over to them. Murray gave his friend the thumbs up while Bentley leaned over the hippo and looked out the window.

"Better late then never I should say!" Bentley replied. He nodded to the top of the van. "She's ready for action Sly! Let's get going!" With a nod, the raccoon ran the rest of the way over and leapt up to the roof of the vehicle. Taking his seat in the gunner's chair, Sly began loading the anti-aircraft gun. Carmelita, still standing at the base of the van was still baffled by the sight of the weapon the Cooper gang possessed.

Built on top of the van was no ordinary anti-aircraft gun but a quad-50 caliber anti-air, tank and personnel weapon. Usually installed on US halftracks, this powerful flak gun was capable of unleashing thousands of rounds within a minute. More powerful and effective then it looked; it could bring down the most illusive of aircraft, even a bomber going at 800 miles per hour. A single 50 caliber machine gun was tough, but four of them on the same weapon were even tougher. It was also safe to say that these weapons had a chamber of 50 000 rounds with ten more boxes of ammo in reserve. If Carmelita's knowledge served her well, Sly and his gang would have come prepared.

Tilting her head in admiration, Carmelita took in every inch of the weapon's build. It was amazingly balanced, big, and powerful. It was also one hell of a sight to behold. If she didn't know any better, a real fire fight was about to ensure. If she knew any better, Sly was still exhausted from his last fight, not to mention really beaten up. She needed to help.

Sly, who was busy setting up another canister of ammo, didn't notice a certain someone clamber on the roof of the van with him until he heard the person clear her throat. Looking up and to his right, he saw Carmelita seated in the second gunners chair in a rather flirtatious pose, her right hand gripping one of the ammo canisters and her left hand placed on her hip. She smiled seductively over at the raccoon. "Need a hand there handsome?" she asked.

Sly was surprised at seeing the vixen seated next to him and stared at her for what seemed like minutes. Soon enough, the raccoon came to his senses and smiled, nodding in response to Carmelita's question. "Sure thing Carmelita, but do you think you are tough enough to handle this baby?" Sly questioned. Carmelita smirked and pulled back on the lever of the machine. The massive quad gun suddenly jerked up into attack position, making the entire van tremble.

Carmelita hopped into the seat, getting comfortable while Sly sat beside her in the gunner's chair, looking at her with a grin. Carmelita grinned in return. "I think I can manage…"

While Bentley was loading single rounds into his Springfield M1903 sniper rifle, he suddenly heard a loud screech come from outside and glanced at the side view mirror of the van. When he looked into his own reflection and the reflection of the volcanic cliffs behind him, he suddenly saw the giant form of Clockwerk fly over the cliffs and straight toward them. The owl's metallic body grew slowly with each passing second as it flew towards them. Bentley's eyes widened.

The turtle's head stuck out the window and his eyes locked onto the massive quad-gun on the top of the van where Sly and Carmelita were. The turtle desperately called out to his friend in warning. "SLY! WE HAVE INCOMING! SIX O'CLOCK!"

Sly and Carmelita reacted to this and looked beyond the rear of the van and past the quad-gun. Coming in from the skies high above from over the horizon, the hulking frame of CLo0ckwerk came diving straight down at them, eyes glowing brightly and beak opened up in a loud, machine like screech. Sly and Carmelita gasped in shock.

Bentley spun round and turned to Murray, slapping his hands on the dashboard and steadying himself. The hippo had also reacted to this. Throwing down the milk shake he was drinking, he started up the engine. "Step on it Murray!" Bentley screamed.

The engine of the van roared to life, the machine's horse power trembling through the van's structure. Just as the van's engines started, Sly and Carmelita got into position and raised the gun's chin off the van and directly towards their target. Just as they did so, Clockwerk had come within range of them. With a bellowing roar emerging from his throat, the giant owl opened its beak and unleashed a torrent of aqua colored, electrical energy. Like a dragon blowing fire onto its prey, Clockwerk launched this electrical blast straight at the van rested far below. The ground and skies were illuminated from the very light of the bird's attack.

Before the beam could strike its target, the van was pulled into action. Thanks to Murray's quick swerve, they barely avoided the electrical beam. Clockwerk's attack struck the ash ridden ground where the van used to be stationed, sending dust, debris and rubble hurling 200 feet into the air with a force greater then that of a railway gun. The van was launched forward several meters because of it, only to come crashing back down. This was almost enough to send the occupants out of their seats. When the van was back on the ground, Murray steered it back onto the road and took off at full speed, the newly resurrected Clockwerk giving chase.

Carmelita, bouncing in the second gunner's seat on the top of the van, pulled out her shock pistol and shoved a magazine into its chamber. Her teeth gritted as she gripped the slider and loaded it, the gun buzzing into life. "Dang! This is going to be one hell of a shit storm!" Carmelita cursed. Sly chuckled and pulled the firing levers of the gun up. With a loud crunch and click, the gun loaded itself. With a final tug, Sly brought the barrels and muzzles of the quad-gun to bare, downing directly towards their target flying high above about 500 meters behind.

"Yeah, let's hope we can survive it!" Sly shouted in reply. With a loud yell, Sly pulled down on the triggers of his anti-air craft gun. The weapons mechanisms opened up, all four barrels unleashing a long barrage of 50 caliber rounds straight up towards their target. The sky was filled with orange bolts as the tracer bullets shot through in an orderly fashion. The gun jerked violently in its emplacement; shaking the van up some more as the gang retreated over the dusty, rough and uneven terrain.

What soon turned into a desperate run turned into a shoot out between the two oppositions. As the flak from the quad-gun roared up towards the sky straight for its target, Clockwerk reacted to it in kind. With maneuverability's and speed that seemed impossible for the massive bird to possess, Clockwerk spun and shot through the air, tucking his wings in to prevent any of his limbs from getting hi by the heavy machine gun fire launching up at him. Avoiding every barrage he could, Clockwerk moved out of the way and flew over to the van's right, his wings opening up again and flapping wildly, pulling him up higher into the air. Gaining speed, Clockwerk let out another screech.

Sly swung the heavy gun round, Carmelita spotting out their target. With another growl, Sly launched another barrage of fire into the air. It was like trying to shoot a swarm of bees. It was no easy task trying to knock out Clockwerk. Like before, Clockwerk flew out of the raging fire, his wings keeping him suspended in mid-air and giving him movement. The bird's eyes glowered red at its targets, indicators and readouts appearing in his vision. Marking and locking onto his primary target, the giant, mechanical owl let out another growl and pulled his own weapons out. Suddenly, popping out from underneath him and from a shield covering on his back, two Gatling guns appeared. The weapons, enhanced with laser sightings and eyes, locked onto the targets far below. With loud clicks of their own, they fired.

Return fire came raining down from above and onto the van, making Sly and Carmelita flinch as the ground exploded on both sides of the van. Murray responded to this immediately, beginning to zigzag out of the paths of the raining bullets fired by their pursuer. This made it more difficult for Sly to fire up at their target. Loading his heavy weapon again, Sly wheeled the gun round from left to right, trying to hit his opponent. Short and long bursts of flak burst out from his weapon, shooting straight up into the skies and at their target. But with every shot he fired, he missed, forcing him to change aiming positions and fire again. Carmelita was checking on their weapon, making sure it didn't over heat or jam.

Bentley held onto his helmet as Murray drove along, wheeling round obstacles and avoiding Clockwerk's raining fire. It was like being in a rollercoaster only this one determined the fate of you and your friends. The occupants of the van were thrown about like rag dolls with every swerve, turn and bump. This was perhaps the hardest race of life or death the team has ever been pulled into. Bentley screamed when he was thrown to the right, his rifle cradled in his arms.

"MURRAY! Watch out!" Bentley shouted. Murray growled, and turned the wheel again, seeing the ground explode ahead of them as heavy Gatling gun fire came down from behind. The hippo was sweating profoundly, and not just from the temperature.

"I know, I know! Will you just let me drive!!?" Murray yelled, pulling the van into a straighter course.

Gun fire continued to echo round, Sly repeatedly launching barrages of fire into the skies above where Clockwerk flew about. The bird was cunning, quick and fast, able to avoid even this hail storm. Sly was not letting up though. He had to make sure he kept the giant bird at bay. More Gatling gun fire rained down on them, some of the rounds flashing past them and hitting some other area away from the van. Sly and Carmelita were relieved that Murray was a good driver. But it would only be a matter of time till they were hit.

Sly growled and cranked the gun to the right, firing off another barrage before wheeling the gun to the left, letting off a blaze of bullets as he went. Everything he tried didn't seem to work, the raccoon beginning to believe this chase would go on forever. It won't be long till they run out of road. "Darn it, I can't get a clear shot! Carmelita, how's your eye today?" Sly asked, launching another barrage. Carmelita turned to him, shouting over the loud thunder of the gun ringing out.

"Sore but it's still good!"

Sly fired off a longer burst of fire, the gun's blazing muzzles lighting up his face with repeated, yellow flashes before it died. Sly lighted his grip and turned to Carmelita, eye's filled with determination. "Then bring out that bazooka pistol of yours and take some shots. You might be able to slow the bird down some more and give me a chance to get some good hits on him!"

Carmelita, seeing where Sly was going nodded and brought out her pistol. Already loaded and the safety switch off, Carmelita sat up more in her seat and took aim. Her left eye gazed down the barrel of her weapon and through the crosshairs. The giant owl floated in and out of her scope, preventing her from firing. The lurching of the van and all the gun fire going round didn't help much either. But when Carmelita finally got a clear shot, she pulled down on the trigger of her weapon and fired. The force of the round was heavy, the recoil jerking at Carmelita's arm violently as the high powered volt shot out of the muzzle.

The electrical round flew through the air and shot straight for its target, sizzling like a meteor. Clockwerk didn't see it coming. There was a loud bang and a shockwave when Carmelita's round struck Carmelita right in his chest chassis. Electrical currents were sent right through the owl's systems and gears. Like a lightning pole, Clockwerk absorbed the full brunt of the blast and screeched in pain. Pieces of him were sent everywhere as some of his parts overloaded. This stopped the bird from firing and easily slowed him down.

Carmelita was surprised that she actually hit him, so was Sly. But right now, the raccoon took his shot. With a yell and a whirl around, the sleek thief unleashed his barrage. 50 caliber rounds shot through the air and straight at their target. As expected, Sly hit on home. Heavy barrages of rounds began bombarding Clockwerk's face, chest chassis and wings with a rain storm of bullets. Clockwerk tucked his head in and shook about in the air, his wings getting thrown off the pattern as he was hammered away at by the van's gun crew. When the bombardment didn't stop, Clockwerk pulled up and screeched loudly. Just as he did that, the Gatling gun that was hanging from his chest suddenly exploded as it was sawn off by Sly's shooting.

At the same time Sly followed his target through the air, Carmelita fired up at the bird as well, bolts of electricity striking Clockwerk everywhere. Bentley could see the giant owl pull up and slow down, enough for it to get hammered by the anti-aircraft gun. It was a real sight to see. Even more so, after several seconds of being hammered by 50 caliber rounds and shock pistol rounds, a chain reaction occurred. Two of Clockwerk's primary gears, the neck and head joint and the right wing section suddenly exploded as the machine gun fire pierced his armor. More debris and shrapnel fell and smoke poured out of the freshly punched wounds all along the bird. In reaction to this, Clockwerk let out a scream and pulled up to a higher altitude, pulling back and making sure he was out of range.

When Sly stopped firing, Clockwerk took his chance and dived straight down towards them. Instead of attacking like Sly thought and was ready for, Clockwerk suddenly pulled up right at the rear of the van. Because the owl's face had caught a massive blaze of Sly's barrages, Clockwerk's look was more damaged then ever. Dents, scars and holes were pounded all over him, even one of his eyebrows was dented badly. To add to it, his face was really burnt and bruised. It was a definite sight for sore eyes.

Sly and Carmelita were about to fire up at Clockwerk again, only to stop when the owl began to speak. Murray didn't stop driving.

"_**Sly Cooper…once again we meet and are locked in an epic battle to the death. What an ironic coincidence that we are fighting in the same place you and your friends beat me before,"**_ Clockwerk exclaimed. Sly and Carmelita glanced at each other before looking back up at the battle worn out owl. Having a conversation at this point was kind of odd, but they sensed the bird wanted to clear a few things up.

"Yeah, what a small world," Sly replied. Clockwerk chuckled evilly, his eyes flashing red with every word he spoke.

"_**Ha, ha, ha…yes. That's exactly what one of your ancestor's said to me. I can blankly remember fighting him, that gun slinger was a real tough, battle hardened fighter. William 'Sharp-Shot' Cooper. Of course…you Coopers all look exactly alike to me,"**_ the giant bird said. Sly smirked and nodded in agreement.

"Sure are. Hard to take getting beaten hundreds of times by the same person eh?" Sly shouted. Clockwerk let out a sigh and grumbled inaudibly at first. When he was done throwing silent curses, he continued to speak.

"_**Not this time Cooper. This time, with new elements in my grasp and the power to bring down even the mightiest of warriors, I will soon beat you and your little gang. By contrast, it will be me who will emerge victorious today!"**_ Clockwerk stated. Carmelita and Sly glared up at him. They drew their weapons upon the giant target and loaded them. They bore their arms in a threatening way, making Clockwerk back off.

"We'll see. Come on then! Show me what you've got!" Sly shouted. Clockwerk growled.

"_**With pleasure!"**_ the massive owl let out another echoing screech before suddenly pulling up and back. Sly and Carmelita followed him through their sights. They were about to mow him down with one of their fierce assaults but were surprised when they saw a new weapon emerge from Clockwerk's shoulders.

Loud buzzing sounds of gears were heard as two slots opened up along Clockwerk's shoulder plates on either side of the bird's head. These opened to reveal three identical holes, each packed with a rocket inside ready to fire. Clockwerk chuckled lowly when he saw the startled looks on Sly and Carmelita's faces. With a final roar, Clockwerk launched his attack. Immediately after, six rockets shot out of his shoulder launchers one by one. These Katyusha like projectiles soared through the air directly for the van, on a course of annihilating the blue vehicle.

Murray on the other hand was keeping close checks on his rear view mirror. When he saw Clockwerk fire off a barrage of missiles straight for them, the hippo swerved into action. Steering out of the way, Murray avoided each rocket one by one. The projectiles crashed on either side of the road, exploding with pillars of fire and smoke shooting up into the air. The shockwaves were great too. An explosion would lurch the van sharply, tossing the occupants inside around.

Sly and Carmelita, on the verge of being tossed off of their getaway cart, went back to battle. Reloading their weapons, they began returning fire. Once again the vicious opponents were locked in a gun fight. Clockwerk was firing his Gatling gun again and unleashing barrages of rockets at the same time. This made a deadly combination, a fiery hail storm accompanied by high explosive shells capable of destroying a tank. Sly and Carmelita created a deadly combination as well, only their fire was aimed at a being twice as strong as the last model they faced.

Unbeknownst to the group, Murray had pulled the van into a long strip of straight road. All around them stood up small cliffs that slopped like skateboard ramps with the apexes of the cliffs acting as sharp pillars. These also created grand cover for Clockwerk. As the van and giant owl sped along, both exchanging deadly fire, Clockwerk would maneuver out of harms way and begin flying on one side of the wall of rocky pillars. Sly would swivel the gun around and blaze away at the wall, only to miss many times and hit his target less and less. When Clockwerk had used up his defense to catch his breath, he would fly back into the road strip and fire at his targets again.

Sly worked frantically away at his quad-gun, trying to knock Clockwerk out of the sky. His shots flung through the air up at its target. Many missed while some of them made contact. Concentrating on one body part to another, Sly picked at Clockwerk like swatting flies one by one. Carmelita also fired up, only these shots were less concentrated on. She missed every time, but managed to graze her target on a couple of occasions. Under this fierce barrage Clockwerk continuously rained hell down on the group. His rockets exploded around them like fireworks. Every explosion sent fire and sparks flying. At the same time his Gatling gun worked wondering on the landscape, turning the road into Swiss cheese almost. Peppering away relentlessly, the mechanical bird's determination to destroy his arch enemy became his main objective. Hungered to see Sly dead, Clockwerk became more vicious, cutting away at the van like there was no tomorrow. Around this time, some of the giant owl's rounds began to punch holes into the van, damaging it.

Bentley ducked when the lamp on the dashboard of the van suddenly exploded and a bullet dislodge itself into the plastic surface. The turtle, startled and infuriated, drew his rifle and loaded it, the firing pin settling back and at the ready.

"That's it, I've had it. Level out Murray!" Bentley shouted. Murray did so and began driving in a straight line, making it easier for Sly and Carmelita to shoot up at their target. It also made it easier for Bentley.

Leaning out the window, the turtle took aim with his rifle. Looking through the scope and down his line of fire, Bentley marked the weak points on Clockwerk. All exposed areas that have been sawn away by Sly and Carmelita's barrages became Bentley's targets. The turtle bit his bottom lip and prepared to fire, his finger itching at the trigger.

"These armor piercing bullets should do it!" Bentley shouted. There was a loud whip-crack as his rifle fired, hurling a 30mm bullet straight at the neck joint of the giant bird. Faster then the eye could see, the bullet pierced Clockwerk's neck and buckled it, the round emerging out of the back of the massive bird and carrying on elsewhere. The round made Clockwerk reel in pain and screech loudly. Sly took the opportunity of the moment and blazed away at the wounded bird. More rounds heavy rounds began to bombard the already damaged bird.

Bentley smirked and pulled on the bolt of his rifle. Sliding it back into place, Bentley took aim again and fired. This round struck Clockwerk in the chest. It didn't do much, but the clanging of the bullet was heard above Sly's barrage of fire. Loading a new round into the chamber, pulling the bolt back and sliding it forward again, Bentley fired once more. He kept this up three more times before all five rounds in his rifle were depleted. Pulling the bolt back and leaving it, Bentley pulled himself back into the van and began reloading his weapon.

"Now that was intense!" Bentley said, sliding rounds into the open chamber. Murray grinned and wheeled round, seeing a rocket heading straight for them. The projectile exploded directly in front of them, the shrapnel cracking the windshield slightly.

"Nice shooting Bentley," Murray exclaimed.

Sly and Carmelita continued working numbers at Clockwerk. The once agile villain had now become a floating target. Clockwerk began receiving more damage then ever, even though his maneuverability was still good. Sly had become more accustomed to the bumps and jerks he was put through while Carmelita's pistol shooting was finally proficient enough to fire under these conditions. Suddenly, just as Clockwerk was pulling up, artillery fire suddenly came down on him. Sly and Carmelita ducked down low, looking ahead of them to see what was going on.

Murray was frantically wheeling the van side to side, avoiding the mortar and artillery rounds raining down on them. They had recently exited the cliffs and were now driving through a narrow straight where a cliff descended on either side of them. It was like they were moving up onto a ramp. On either side, they saw enemy forces on both sides, Germans, all of them shooting up at the van. MG 42's blazed away at them, bombarding the sides of the van, accompanied by small arms fire and more mortar fire. An artillery shell exploded right on the road, taking a chunk off of the narrow cliff straight. Bentley was brought into fearful hysterics.

"It's a gauntlet! We're driving straight through crossfire! Get us out of here!" Bentley screamed. Sly looked up, seeing Clockwerk pull out of the fray. That was one less opponent to worry about.

Murray let out a yell when he suddenly saw the road end at a ledge. The ledge led out into the vast opening of the apex of the volcano itself. The volcanic summit stretched for a kilometer at least and was dotted with all sorts of wrecked vehicles, bunkers, obstacles and equipment. Though this was of little concern, Murray was more worried about the drop. He looked back to his friends to let them know of the approaching jump. "Hang on guys!" With that, he hit the pedal and drove straight over the ledge and dropped into the wide open area of the summit. Sly and Carmelita had to hang on tightly as the van dropped for several meters before crashing to ground level once more. The van swerved uncontrollably for the moment before evening out, continuing on in a straight line.

Murray, Bentley, Sly and Carmelita sighed in relief, all of them lying or sitting in rather awkward positions. It was only when a familiar screech sounded was the gang brought back into the real world. Looking up, Sly saw the bird form of Clockwerk become silhouetted against the full moon. The giant owl's uproar was loud enough to attract the attention of everyone standing around and not just the Cooper gang. When Sly saw his arch enemy's hulking form appear in the sky, the raccoon scowled.

"_This will be the last time Clockwerk…the last time!"_

Reaching to the holster in his seat, Sly pulled out a LMG (Light machine gun) out from its hiding place. When Carmelita glanced over at Sly to see what he had pulled out, she saw the raccoon holding a Lewis support gun, an American specialist weapon. It was a machine gun with a cylinder barrel shroud, a pan magazine that held 47 rounds and a rifle stock. It was an old weapon, but was nonetheless effective against personnel and air-craft. It was quite the infantry weapon for something that weighed 12 kilo grams.

Sly, after shoving a couple more magazines into his utility belt and loading the weapon, glanced over at the vixen sitting beside him. The van was still in motion, but at least they were on an even surface. Carmelita looked back at Sly in curiosity.

"Carmelita, I want you to stay back and let me handle this one. Clockwerk is mine to deal with, alone…"

Carmelita looked at him in disbelief. "What!? No Sly, you can't! You're too hurt! Let's just run, don't fight him. He's too strong!" Sly smiled and shook his head.

"No Carmelita, I'm tired of running. I have to face him," Sly said. Carmelita shook her head in protest and leapt out to him, embracing him tightly and holding him down. Sly looked down at her in surprise. The fox wept into his chest.

"Sly, please. I don't want to see you get hurt," Carmelita cried, tears running down her cheeks and landing on Sly's dirty shirt. The raccoon smiled again and took Carmelita's chin in his, forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes continued to well with tears as they stared at each other.

"Hey, I'll be aright. I always have been. Besides, I'm fighting for something I want to protect. That's you Carmelita," Sly said.

Carmelita gasped silently, her look turning surprised. Sly grinned at her, that famous grin she had seen him use every time she saw him. Suddenly, Sly leaned over and trapped Carmelita's lips in a warm, tender kiss. The vixen let out a muffled cry of surprised. She whimpered seconds later and deepened it, embracing Sly more firmly.

The kiss ended when Sly pulled away from the Interpol cop. After he unwrapped her arms from around his waste Sly gave her one final smile before leaping over the side of the van. Rolling across the ash ridden ground, he came to a crouched landing after absorbing the shock of the fall. He stood up, Lewis gun in hand.

Carmelita stared out toward the back of the van as Sly slipped into the distance, shrinking as Murray and Bentley drove on. She was still unsure that Sly would be able to defeat Clockwerk this time.

When Sly was back on his feet, he put his finger to his ear and connected with his friends. His expression and his eyes showed no fear or worry. He was completely calm, ready for battle. But just to be sure, he wanted to assure his friends that he'll be alright.

"Hey Bentley…"

"_**Yeah Sly, what's going on?"**_

"I'll carry out this fight on my own from here. I just got off the van. I'll be taking on Clockwerk head to head. I have to end this now…"

Bentley was gawking in shock. _**"WHAT?! SLY NO! You're too tired! Clockwerk is still too strong for you to bring down on your own! Hold on, we're coming back for you!"**_ Sly shook his head.

"No Bentley, I'll be fine. You guys just stay back and keep safe. Clockwerk can't be brought down in a cat and mouse chase. He has to be faced head on. My ancestors were able to beat him head to head. If they could, then so can I!"

"_**B-But Sly…"**_

Sly grinned. "Hey, don't worry about me Bentley. I've broken out of tougher scrapes then this with only a few scratches. I'll be fine." The raccoon looked up into the skies above, seeing Clockwerk flying towards him, wings flapping and a screech emitting from the beast's throat. Sly's smile turned into a frown and his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Just fine…"

Disconnecting, the raccoon lowered his hand to his side and took a balanced stance. Raising his LMG up and propping it against his shoulder, the raccoon glared up at the owl creature flying towards him, getting closer and closer with each passing second. Sly glared even harder, his eyes flashing with mischief and anger.

"Your wait is over! Come and get me!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	9. Chapter 9

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 9

Sly growled as he watched Clockwerk approach, the giant owl diving from the skies high above and heading straight towards the raccoon. But despite the odds and how exhausted he was, Sly wasn't afraid. Armed with a Lewis machine gun and his cane flung onto his back, he had a feeling he could take on Clockwerk single handedly. All he had to do was hope that he could beat the maniacal bird. If he was able to save Carmelita, then there was a chance he could protect her. He just had too.

Clockwerk was surprised that Sly was going to fight him in a one on one contest, but that was how he wanted it to be. The raccoon had more spunk then he gave him credit for. Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that he was pretty beat up as well. That 50 caliber machine gun really tore through him like a sharp end of a pencil through paper. Plus those shots fired by Carmelita really knocked him around a bit too. He was enraged by the fact that he was losing to a bunch of amateurs. But now it was the time he would prove his superiority. He glowered down at the raccoon.

"_**You should have stayed in your little hole, rat,"**_ he growled. After a brief exchange of glares, Clockwerk attacked. Opening his beak wide and letting out a strangled screech, the giant owl unleashed a torrent of electrical energy. The blast shot like lightning straight for Sly, threatening to roast him alive. Sly reacted to this in kind. After making a surprised movement, the raccoon then leapt out of the way to his right. The bolt of high powered energy struck the earth where he once stood. Sly jumped out of harms way, landing on the earth several meters away and rolling across the ground. He got back into a crouched position and swiftly turned in the direction of his opponent.

Clockwerk was already here. The massive bird hovered toward him just several feet off the ground but still flying. The bird had pulled himself into striking distance. His razor sharp talons opened up, preparing to enclose him in a death grip. Sly reacted again, rolling to his left this time to avoid getting grabbed. Clockwerk flew straight past him, hurling dust into the air at his proximity with the earth. When the massive bird flew past, Sly was already on his feet again.

Standing back up, the raccoon spun around, bringing his machine gun to bear. Pulling back on the large bolt, he loaded the weapon and aimed it at Clockwerk's rear. With a quick pull of the trigger and a heavy jerk, the machine gun opened up. Orange bolts of hot projectiles shot straight up at the bird, striking Clockwerk's rear. Immediately after opening fire, Clockwerk's tail became battered. Shrapnel flew everywhere when a rear pivot gear exploded, smoke emerging out of one of Clockwerk's feather joints. The giant owl let out a agonized screech before plummeting to the earth below. His landing was blinded by dust and rubble when he crashed a hundred meters out of range. But that didn't mean Sly couldn't hone in on his assault.

Pushing himself forward, the raccoon ran straight for the area Clockwerk had landed. His machine gun continued peppering away at the crater and cloud of smoke the massive bird had created. The shots rang out loudly and could be seen exploding inside the cloud and chipping the ash caps of the volcanic summit. Dust shot into the air as small pillars with every shot that missed. But when the undeniable sound of clanging was heard as bullets bombarded a very familiar opponent, Sly knew he was making contact. However, his fun was not to last. The dust cloud began to dispense as it was chopped away by a stumbling Clockwerk who was desperately trying to get to his feet. His cries and screeches echoed throughout the lands and skies. It was almost deafening.

Sly continued firing deadly rounds into the cloud of smoke but was forced to stop when his weapon clicked on empty. He stopped twenty meters from his opponent and hurriedly began reloading his weapon. Removing the empty pan magazine and disposing with it, he quickly gathered up another one and snapped it in. By the time he was pulling out the new magazine, Clockwerk was back on his feet and flapping his wings, getting airborne. Feverishly, Sly twisted the magazine on top of his weapon until it clicked in. Now that it was prepped, he pulled back on the bolt, loading it. When he lifted it up, Clockwerk was already flying towards him, appearing too close for comfort. Sly yelled and leapt out of the way, at the same time firing off a burst of rounds. Unfortunately, when he leapt out of the way, Clockwerk managed to bump him, knocking the gun out of his hand.

Sly landed beyond his control, rolling along the earth before stopping on his front, face in the dirt. What followed was a scraping noise when his gun thudded to the ground meters in front of him. With a groan, the raccoon looked up, seeing his weapon lying out of his reach, teasing him. He growled and crawled towards it as quick as he could. Ignoring his sore body, he reached out to take hold of it, but his efforts were in vein. Just as his hand was but a foot away from it, another hand grabbed it, only it wasn't the hand of another person. This massive, talon foot slammed right on top of it, crushing the weapon and shattering it. Pieces of the gun flew everywhere. Sly cringed when he saw this and followed the foot up to its owner. After trailing up the metallic leg and up the chest chassis of a towering figure, he found that the foot belonged to Clockwerk.

The bird leered at him, his eyes glowing. _**"You have no need for such a handicap in this fight Cooper…"**_ the bird growled. Sly shuddered for a moment then let out an angered growl. With a swift push to the earth, he leapt back. Crossing his hands to his chest he became vertical with the ground and spun through the air before landing in a defensive stance a great distance from his opponent. When he landed, the raccoon and the giant hulk of Clockwerk became locked in a staring contest.

An edgy silence fell onto the scene, adding a dramatic rehearsal for the pair of them. It had happened before. While they were glaring at each other, Clockwerk also dropped into a fighting stance of his own. His wings stretched out, revealing their formal yet battered state. His eyes didn't waver in the least. His feet became stationed at shoulder width apart and his body hunched over a bit more. Sly was also dropped in a familiar stance. His legs were spread a bit further apart and his hands were held outwards in different positions. The wind that whipped at him blew the loose clothing he wore and his fur. His tail waved behind him fluently.

The silence dragged on for minutes, the hands on the clock ticking as the two stared each other down. Sly wasn't amused, his persona remaining calm and collected. When the moment reached a climactic height, the raccoon drew his cane from behind him. Holding it out, he twirled it between his fingers before holding it in his respective fighting position. He dropped into a more unorthodox fighting stance, his eyes never leaving his opponent. A few more seconds past…

Then, after the time period had expired, the two engaged. Sly charged at his opponent and Clockwerk leapt at him. Wings held out in a glide and talons bared while Sly's cane was cranked back, ready to strike. When the two met each other halfway, they engaged. Sly attacked first. When Clockwerk slammed down on the ground just in front of the raccoon, Sly struck. Slashing outwards with his cane swiftly as if striking with a katana, Sly assaulted his opponent with relentless efforts. Clockwerk managed to block them with defense parts of his body, the massive bird able to move as fluently as his opponent. Sly slashed out again, trying side swipes to upper slash strikes. He advanced, forcing Clockwerk to back up while blocking out all of Sly's attacks. The giant owl made the earth shake with every step he took, more dust and ash rising into the air.

Sly struck out fast and swiftly, his face showing the efforts he was putting into this fight. Clockwerk made it clear to the raccoon that this fight wasn't going to go easy. He easily blocked out all of Sly's attacks, avoiding some more of them by backing off but coming back in an attempt to strike. Sly didn't let up. He lashed out at his opponent as if there was no tomorrow. However, with every effort filled attack he tried, Clockwerk neutralized it, as if it were useless to begin with.

When Sly came in with a backhanded strike, Clockwerk leapt into the air, his massive wings flapping and keeping him afloat. The giant bird attacked, slashing out with his talons as if they were swords. Sly identified the fighting style as feather duster swordsmanship; the same style that sword master Major Von Talon used. Nevertheless, Sly was forced into defense. Holding his cane with two hands, the raccoon began to defend himself against this vicious assault. Backing up step by step, Sly parried and blocked every slash that came out at him. Clockwerk even managed to knuckle his talons and punch out at the raccoon. Sly found it as sort of a surprise but managed to duck, avoid and slide out of every attack. When Clockwerk unclenched his feet again, he went slashing out at Sly again, all the while keeping himself afloat.

After quickly slashing out at his opponent, Clockwerk landed again and made another surprise attack. Pivoting on the spot, Clockwerk spun round, his tail feathers opening up. These appendages formed into knives, swiping down at the raccoon's feet. Sly saw this and jumped over it, the helicopter ground strike missing completely. Sly landed again and attacked, swiping up with the hooked end of his cane. Clockwerk was too fast. The massive owl spun around fast enough that he managed to catch the raccoon's cane in his mouth, the massive beak enclosing on the weapon tightly. Sly found it as quite a shock and attempted to pull his cane out of his opponent's grasp, but to no avail.

Clockwerk took this opportunity into his own hands and pulled Sly up and tossed him over. He threw Sly skywards, right into his own element. But Sly didn't stay airborne for long. The raccoon fell back to earth, his body slamming to the ground hard. When he made contact with the earth and rolled to a stop, he chocked out air and pushed himself back up, staggering to his feet. When he managed to get up, he glared over at the mechanical owl, his form steady once again. Clockwerk glared back, a growl emanated from his throat. With a screech, the owl attacked again, flying straight for Sly as if on a rampage. He head butted out at the raccoon, intent on tackling him to the ground where he would crush him. Sly wasn't so easily fooled with such a obvious attack from a big opponent. He jumped over Clockwerk, leaping to the air higher and faster then even Carmelita could. After a few moments was spent in the air, Sly landed again and spun around, glaring in the direction he expected his opponent had gotten too.

The giant owl had managed to pull himself out of his charge and was once again flapping his wings and floating many meters above the ground. He had turned around also when he saw that his attack had failed against his opponent. This titan was proving to be quite the opponent, especially now that both of them were practically even in both skill and strength.

When their eyes fell upon each other standing many yards away from each other, they launched into battle again. Clockwerk attacked first, but used a different type of attack. There was a loud whir and a shift of metal when a hatch opened up on the bird's back. A large metallic launcher popped out, frame work and all. The launcher was lined with rockets. Sly identified the weapon as a Katyusha rocket launcher and growled. Clockwerk had even more weapons installed in him thanks to that asshole Kennel. The massive bird, still airborne and flapping his wings, laughed and fired the rockets. They shot straight up into the air before suddenly changing course and diving straight for Sly, trailing fiery smoke along the way.

The raccoon crouched for the moment when he followed the rockets' path before pulling himself back into action. He jumped to the side, avoiding the barrage of rockets diving towards him. The ones that had targeted his once present position exploded on the summit's surface, flashes of light illuminating the battle field before pillars of fire shot into the air, accompanied by smoke and dust. Sly rolled across the earth before stopping in a crouched position, looking back to the cloud of smoke where the rockets exploded. He was relieved he managed to pull out of the effective range of the rockets, but was shocked when he looked back into the sky to see more of them falling towards him. Clockwerk wasn't finished.

Seeing the threat approaching him, Sly got to his feet and began sprinting out of the rockets' landing zones. What he left behind was a trail of explosions, smoke and craters as the bombardment of rockets continued to fall on him like a hail storm. The raccoon kept his head low as he ran, zigzagging all the way when rockets fell round him where they were marked. He had to stay clear; otherwise he might be caught in the blasts of shrapnel or fire. The Katyusha rockets had enough explosives to reduce a building to rubble. If used in proper coordination by the military, an entire line of Katyusha rocket launchers could level a city.

Clockwerk continued firing rockets constantly, his rack reloading every second. But after a minute or so of trying to hit his opponent constantly evading his barrage, he ran out of ammo. He fired his last four rounds with a whiz bang of smoke, the rockets once again landing where Sly once stood. The raccoon had leapt out of the way to avoid the last blast. The rockets exploded with force, but weren't enough to topple the sleek thief. Clockwerk growled when his efforts to destroy Sly were futile and retracted his empty weapon. When it was back inside of him, he landed back on the ground with a crash, his wings still held outwards and his eyes glaring daggers at Sly. The raccoon was relieved the barrage was over, sweat now staining his dirt covered body. He already had his fill of ash from the volcano.

When he was firmly placed on the ground again, Clockwerk resulted to a new tactic. Holding out his wings to where hands were supposed to be, two knew weapons appeared. What Sly mistook as razor blades were actually Shuriken launchers. These launchers stretched out like helicopter blades with disks at then end that were capable of firing Ninja stars. Sly suspected this to be yet another device installed by Kennel. Aware that these were effective, especially against an entire platoon of soldiers, Sly got ready to make the run of his life.

With the weapons held out and aimed towards him, Clockwerk fired away. The launchers spun like blades themselves, but as soon as they started spinning, hundreds of Shuriken stars began flying out and straight at Sly. The thief managed to block the first several stars by swinging his cane out and knocking them away. They clanged against his cane uselessly, but a few managed to get through. Sly yelped in pain when several of the stars slashed across his shoulders, arms, sides and legs. He limped over in pain, his cuts bleeding ever more. But, still amidst the threat, the raccoon looked up, seeing the flying stars still headed towards him. Pulling up a ditch effort, he leapt out of the way before beginning to run across the earth. The barrage of stars followed as Clockwerk moved his launchers to follow his opponent and keep him in his sights.

As Sly ran, he also blocked several stars that actually managed to mark him. He slapped them out of the way, still running along the hard earth. When he came across the area where there were a lot of smoking craters and equipment deposited across the area, he was able to use them as cover. Leaping, sliding, weaving and slipping through, around, over and under the various obstacles lying about, Sly was able to evade the machine gun fire of Shuriken projectiles flying towards him. The stars landed on everything they hit while a few miss shots flew on to land someplace else.

Hiding behind a large, steel plate of a destroyed halftrack, the raccoon panted for breath. He heard the stars clang against the wall of metal he was behind, evidence that Clockwerk knew where he was. He thought he was out of the range, but when he saw holes begin to get ripped into the steel and stars flew through it, he knew that he wouldn't be safe for long. With a growl of effort, he ran out of his hiding place and back out onto the field. The piece of metal he had hid behind was ripped apart as more stars were shot into it before they began following him again. Clockwerk managed to keep Sly in his sights and followed him with his launchers. The propeller slingshots flung their projectiles continuously at the raccoon as he weaved in zigzag fashion out of their reach.

Sly approached his opponent, blocking out the projectiles flung at him while he continued his trek. A few more meters, and Sly was within range. When he felt he was close enough, Sly leapt high into the air, gaining altitude and evading Clockwerk's bombardment of stars. Clockwerk followed him without rest, firing Shuriken up at the plummeting raccoon. Sly blocked all the stars he could as he fell straight towards his opponent. When he was in striking range, Sly brought his cane up and struck out to Clockwerk's left wing. He struck the first Shuriken launcher, chopping it off and shattering it. Clockwerk attempted to back off, but when he did, Sly stepped towards him and spun, slicing out at the second Shuriken launcher on his wing. That slingshot mechanism was sawn off too, reduced to pieces of metal once again. With a last yell and strike, Sly sent the hook end of his cane into Clockwerk's chest, striking at the bird's chassis and denting it badly.

Clockwerk screeched in pain and stumbled back, his wings flapping about to help keep him stable. Once he was back into a proper standing position, the bird glared at his opponent hatefully, his eyes glowing. Sly dropped back into a fighting stance and glared back at his opponent. When Sly prepared for another outrageous attack from his opponent, he got quite a bit of a shock when Clockwerk pulled out another trick from his body. The bird's form and image turned into a sort of watery like sensation. His body wavered for the moment before becoming transparent. Clockwerk vanished altogether seconds later, becoming invisible. Sly was frozen with disbelief.

"That's new," he exclaimed silently, his eyes looking about frantically for the giant bird. When he looked at the ground, he swore he could see footprints heading towards him, the earth shaking with each step. He prepared himself for the attack, but now that he was unable to see his opponent, he couldn't see what would be coming at him next.

Just as Sly brought his cane up in front of him with two hands, he was suddenly struck hard in he back, sending him forward. He reacted to this, despite the pain, and spun around, swinging his cane out behind him. He knew Clockwerk was there. But when his cane passed through air, he realized the bird wasn't there at all. How could such a big bird be so fast?

The attack continued as Sly was repeatedly bashed around in his midsection, back and chest. He was slammed hard by Clockwerk's fisted talons and head butts. Sly was like a rag doll at this moment, being thrown about and treated like one was not what he enjoyed. He stumbled forward and fell to the earth when he was slammed in the back, sending him to the earth. He pushed himself up, shaking his head with his eyes shut. His head was ringing with the sense of unconsciousness dawning on him from the thrashing. Then, he heard it: a loud snap of metal that sounded the opening of large talons. It came from above him.

Sly growled and glanced up momentarily before rolling out of the way. The ground he once lay caved in with large talon marks and cracks as Clockwerk's invisible foot slammed down on the earth. Sly got back to his feet and dropped into a defensive stance, his eyes searching ahead of him and his ears doing the heavy work. If he couldn't see his opponent, then he may as well hear him out. He saw some dirt rise from the earth when Clockwerk's talon rose and then, Sly began to use his hearing more hardly. Closing his eyes, he formed a picture of his surroundings and tried to seek out his opponent in the foggy mist. His ears will be his eyes.

Listening carefully, he heard massive footsteps slam in front of him as Clockwerk approached. The creaking of metal and the pounding of gears was all a big give away, allowing Sly to see what Clockwerk was about to do. When Clockwerk was about to strike, Sly reacted. With closed eyes, the raccoon ducked under and straight towards his opponent before attacking. The hook end of his cane sizzled with electricity when Sly charged up his strike. With a loud crack Sly's cane rammed into the torso of his invisible opponent! Opening his eyes, Sly saw the crackling of the effects of his attack run over the body of the cloaked Clockwerk. The massive bird screeched loudly from the pain of the attack as he stumbled back. Moments later, his invisible cloak was removed in a buzz of electrical energy. It was revealed that Sly's electromagnetic attack was able to disable Clockwerk's invisibility shield and now that it was, Sly could see that his attack had also made a dent in the owl's stomach. This made him even more battered and bruised then before.

Sly smirked and dropped into another fighting stance while Clockwerk glared at him more hotly.

"_**You're tough Cooper, but I am better! You can never defeat the power that is Clockwerk!"**_ the owl growled loudly, his voice creating a chill in the air. Sly didn't feel it though and just returned the glare with his own amused stare.

"You can't be so self centered Clockwerk. The power, strength and skill come from the heart. While yours, yours is just a cold machine working tirelessly for you. You lack all the traits that make a person a person. There are some things in this world you can never get," Sly stated. Clockwerk snorted, his wings coming to rest at his sides as he glared at the sneaky thief. He was becoming more and more of an irritating bug by the second.

"_**My heart still exists in me but not of the actual system, but of the memories I keep within my complex mainframe network,"**_ Clockwerk stated. Sly chuckled.

"You don't even have a brain as well. You're just a copy imprinted on some hard drive that was slipped into a cheap imitation of my old foe. You may be stronger then the original, but that doesn't mean you possess the traits of a real life person. You were just programmed to believe you are Clockwerk," Sly explained. Clockwerk chuckled and shook his head.

"_**No Cooper, you are so wrong. Clockwerk was but an immortal soul existing in an unbreakable body. His hate allows him to filter through this dark world for all time. You can never kill hate,"**_ Clockwerk said, his voice filled with malice. It wavered a bit because of the damage he had suffered. Sly shook his head in disagreement, the raccoon still dropped in a defensive stance.

"Ah well, there's where you're wrong again. Hate can be drowned when the person can find that his own anger and rage is just an emotion that affects your mind and body, damaging you. Your desire to be better than me and my ancestors has driven your power hungry beliefs to a curse like level. You should realize that your best is what you strive hard to achieve. I worked hard to get where I'm at. And look at you; you're just a creation of something that was believed to have been the betterment of this world," Sly said. Clockwerk growled and stomped his foot to the ground, his wings spreading out to full length. His strength used in that stomp shook the earth. Sly became very uneasy.

"_**Enough Cooper! It's time to end this! Say good-bye to this world and move onto the next! Your legacy ends here!"**_ Clockwerk roared, his wings flapping hard and up hurling dust. The massive hulk of his body was lifted up into the air, floating just a few meters above the earth and keeping him there. Sly's eyes were kept wide open for any sudden attacks.

With a loud screech, Clockwerk shot at Sly, his beak opening wide and unleashing a torrent of, not lightning, but fire. Cooper was sure to react to the flame gauntlet and brought his cane up. Spinning it in his hands he blocked out the blast of fire, reducing its effects in his twirling defense. However, just as he was blocking it, Clockwerk came in and tackled him, swiping at him with his talons. The raccoon yelped in shock as he was knocked away but was also slashed across his chest. He was knocked flying into the air but fell to the ground yards from his previous position. Getting back to his feet with help from his cane, he was about to turn around but was knocked again when Clockwerk came diving back. Sly staggered and stumbled and was struck again from in front when Clockwerk dived again. This blow sent him flying backwards and slamming to the ground seconds later onto his back. Sly was in agony now but he bit against the pain. Opening one eye he looked up, seeing Clockwerk hovering overhead high in the skies, his screeching echoing all around. The sight gave him more strength as the determination to beat the bird grew stronger.

When Clockwerk saw that Sly was back on his feet he attacked again. The bird let out a screech before making yet another dive attack. His talons opened up, ready to grab the raccoon. Sly was sure to react in kind. This time, when Clockwerk reached him and made a grab, Sly swiped up with his cane. The hook end of his weapon struck Clockwerk underneath the chin. The blow was enough to crack the bird's jaw and knock a few springs, gears, nuts and bolts out of the bird's head. Clockwerk was severely shaken from this and dropped to the floor behind Sly when he soared overhead. Sly growled and spun round, running at Clockwerk's downed frame as it struggled to get up.

Sly leapt on Clockwerk's back, straddling himself and gripping his cane in two hands. When Clockwerk's head was in sight, Sly struck down. His cane swung through the air and slammed on Clockwerk's head, denting it severely and damaging it even more. Clockwerk shrieked in pain as he was knocked down further. Sly didn't stop. Through gritted teeth and anger, the raccoon continued to hammer away at the big bird's head. He wanted to break him, crack his head and destroy his brain. Clockwerk had killed his parents and tormented his ancestor's for centuries. After what he had been through, Sly wanted to kill him. Clockwerk howled in pain as the raccoon hammered him into the ground with his cane. He deserved every last bit.

Suddenly, before Sly could strike down again, Clockwerk's head made a full 180 degree turn, his face now backwards. Clockwerk's sharpened beak opened up and, protruding out from his mouth, a cannon appeared. In a flash, a burst of lightning shot forth and engulfed Sly in a fiery hell. The raccoon had just raised his cane above his head when the blast engulfed him. The force, the heat and the pain was indescribable. He screamed in shock and agony before being thrown off of Clockwerk's back. The massive bird got to his feet, turning around with heavy, stumbling footsteps.

Sly landed on the ground, tumbling and skidding to a stop. When he landed, he was in an even worse state then before. His shirt was burnt, ripped and torn and he was even more damaged then before. He had scars all over him with bruises, burns marks and scorch marks. He was practically smoking and trembling where he lay. His cane was still held tightly in his right hand.

After whimpering and groaning in pain for those few moment, the raccoon looked up. His eyes flew open when he saw Clockwerk looming over him, the evil bird's eyes boring into his. Sly yelled and held up his cane quickly. Clockwerk slammed his left talon right on top of him but was stopped by Sly's cane. As if doing bench presses, Sly's arms trembled as Clockwerk put his full weight on him. But with all the strength he could muster, he pushed him off as best he could but couldn't hold him there. Clockwerk was too strong. Sly's body trembled all the more.

Clockwerk growled and leaned over, his face coming as close as possible to Sly's. The two of them glared hatefully at each other. Both of them were battle scarred and damaged. Sly's face was very bruised, scarred and sweaty while Clockwerk's was black with burn damage, ash and was dented by scars, bullets and punishing blows. The two of them, though suffering from pain, were still strong enough to fight on. But now it came down to this: a grappling match between life and death. Sly was failing and Clockwerk was advancing.

Before Clockwerk could crush him, Sly forced him back up. He let out a growl as he pushed his massive opponent away. Clockwerk's teeth gritted and a low growl emitted from his lips as well. _**"You're finished Cooper! I…will…crush…you!"**_ the owl roared, pushing further down on his opponent. Sly, with unbelievable strength pushed him up again, keeping Clockwerk from crushing him.

"I…don't…think…so!"

Clockwerk was pushed off further and Sly nearly had him on the ropes when suddenly a voice called out, catching Clockwerk's and Sly's attentions.

"I don't think so either," the loud, feminine voice called out to Sly's left many yards away. Clockwerk and Sly turned in that direction and saw, to their surprise, Carmelita.

The vixen had stepped out onto the battlefield and was heavily armed with something Sly couldn't identify. Prepped on her right shoulder was a massive cannon of some sort. Its top barrel and chamber design was that of a Lugar pistol but many times bigger that it was about the size of a tank gun. Also, the stock was that of a bazooka's with more padding and support. It was simply big and packing with a back magazine that held 50 mm shells. Clockwerk was shocked.

The buxom vixen took aim with her weapon and, gripping the firing handle, pulled the trigger. Clockwerk didn't stand a chance. The first round echoed with a loud bang, dust hurling into the air with the path of the heavy round being fired. The earth shook with the force of the gun going off, as well as the jerky action it had in Carmelita's grasp. The massive shell struck Clockwerk in the neck, followed by more rounds in the back, then in the eye, then in the chest, then in the wing and so on. Carmelita just hammered her weapon away at the beast. The loud bangs of gun fire multiplied ten fold with the force only being the start of it. The projectiles did so much damage that Clockwerk was instantly crippled where he stood. The owl, now silence by the gun hammering away at him, could do nothing. He was brutally pounded by the weapon as Carmelita continued firing.

After a couple more rounds, her gun jerked empty. About twelve rounds were fired before it had emptied, and Clockwerk had been flattened. Sly was just shocked. Carmelita moved the gun off of her shoulder and glanced round at her handy work.

Clockwerk stood where he was, suspended for a moment before Sly pushed him off of him. The giant owl's hulking frame collapsed to the ground and into a crumpled heap, his body twitching before stopping seconds later. He was downed…

Carmelita smiled and tossed her weapon to the floor before walking over to help Sly to his feet. Sly sat up, shaking his head and groaning from the pain coursing through his body. Carmelita encased him in a concerned, affectionate hug but pulled away when he groaned again. She stared at him with worry where she knelt.

"How do you feel? You don't look so good. Are you alright?" she asked.

Sly trembled for a moment then smiled up at her, one of his eyes half-lidded. "I've had better days," he replied. His brow then furrowed with curiosity. "What the hell did you use?"

Carmelita smiled in return, looking very proud. "Your standard issue 'Big Gun', the equipment section made it and now it's a part of my private collection. I was late because I had to get it…"

Sly grinned. "Well you arrived in the nick of time. Thanks Carmelita," Sly exclaimed. Carmelita blushed lightly at his handsome grin and hugged him a little more tightly but was careful not to hurt him.

"Don't mention it…"

Suddenly, there was a loud clang behind them, distracting the two from their conversation. To their shock and absolute horror, the body of Clockwerk moved, twitching, grinding and showing life. Sly and Carmelita stood up ad backed away. They were in utter disbelief.

Their fears were confirmed when Clockwerk stood up to full height, the bird letting out a screech combined roar, his wings stretching out to full extent. With a loud growl, the bird shot up into the skies and away from the pair, his wings flapping heavily. He pulled up to a safe altitude, making Sly and Carmelita shudder.

"How is it possible?!!" Carmelita shouted. Sly had the same question on his mind. There was no way Clockwerk could have survived such a beating, especially with a bloody 50 caliber anti-tank gun. He growled and glanced over at Carmelita, the vixen looking back at him when he tugged on her arm.

"There is no time! I have to take him out in the air! Get me to the van!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

_Author's note:_ Sorry, but I had to edit this a little. There were a few lines that bugged me. Well, here's the chapter...edited. 


	10. Chapter 10

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 10

_**The Cooper van…**_

_**Minutes later…**_

Bentley and Murray had established themselves in the dried up ash landscape of the pinnacle of the volcano. It was in the same area Sly had engaged Clockwerk in that one on one competition. As much as they detested it, Clockwerk was still alive. They suspected Sly was unable to finish him in hand to hand, so they began preparing for the third and final round.

The ramp and slingshot firing mechanism of the van was opened up. All the contraptions were pulled out with a new, Cooper gang bi-plane set up on the sling. Bentley, rolling around in his wheelchair, was busy making the plane battle ready. Murray helped him by carrying the extra ammunition and loading it into the magazine chamber. It was hard work, but they were still able to do this under the terrible conditions of battle. Shells continued dropping around them with gunfire continuously going off. On top of that, they were fearful of being captured by either the French Foreign Legion or the SS Gestapo Legion.

After finally getting the plane set up, the two of them gathered beside the plane. They were startled however when they saw Sly and Carmelita come sprinting over the hill to their left, both of them in a rush. Bentley and Murray were pleased to see them.

"Sly! Carmelita! You made it! We thought you both went sausage side!" Murray exclaimed, throwing his arms out. The sprinting pair slowed to a walking pace before stopping in front of the hippo and the crippled turtle. Bentley nodded to the raccoon and the fox cop, sharing his relief at seeing his friend alive. He still wasn't too fond of Carmelita though.

"Nice to see you two still in one piece. I am presuming you were unable to beat Clockwerk," Bentley stated. Sly nodded, his expression very disappointed.

"Yeah, I just don't get it," the raccoon replied, closely followed by Carmelita cutting into the conversation.

"Sly gave that bird such a thrashing, and even after I stepped in the thing is still flying. He's unstoppable!" Carmelita shouted. Murray fisted his hands and growled in frustration.

"More like unbeatable! No matter how many times we beat him he always finds a way to come back! And now he wants more" the hippo continued, his voice booming over their's. Bentley turned to Sly, his hands on his hips.

"Look Sly, it appears Kennel has done a big number on Clockwerk! He's juiced him up so much and jam-packed him with double the amount he's supposed to be carrying! As a result Clockwerk has become the ultimate killing machine. He's no longer the enemy we have faced in the past!" Bentley informed. Sly nodded, crossing his arms. As much as he hated to admit it, Clockwerk was unstoppable. Some day he was having. This was turning out to be harder then anything else he has been pulled through.

"So it seems Bentley. But I managed to disable most of his weaponry. It was incredible though. Clockwerk could turn invisible, shoot these weird ninja star things and had a huge supply of Katyusha rockets," Sly said, listing a couple of the weapons he had seen Clockwerk use. Bentley nodded but rubbed his chin, his expression becoming more negative.

"That's not all Sly. Now that he's still flying around again, he's now activated a new weapon system. He's put himself into attack mode, speeding him up and making him more agile in advance. He now has the capability to fly as fast as a Messerschmitt fighter," Bentley said. Murray, Sly and Carmelita were watching and listening in astonishment. Bentley looked back up at them and then thumbed over to the bi-plane set up on the sling behind him. "However, with the damage he has sustained, he just might be weak enough to be brought down in a dogfight. She may not be as good as last time Sly, but I have fixed up the plane as best as I can. I installed the extra boosters, including a pair of Vickers guns and a Hotchkiss machine gun on top with plenty of ammunition. Unfortunately I could only pack 20 rounds of Katyusha rockets for you. I'm sorry about this but I was only able to restore her to 85 percent of what she once was."

Sly nodded, walking around Bentley and towards the plane. "That's good enough Bentley. Thanks man," the raccoon said, patting his friend on the shoulder as he went by. Bentley wheeled around, followed by Murray. Carmelita stepped forward, shocked at Sly's boldness.

The ring-tailed master thief, clambered up the steps and slipped into the newly restored bi-plane. As soon as he had sat himself in, he began testing the console. Flicking on the engines and starting up the motor, the bi-plane roared into life. The propeller immediately began spinning. Bentley rolled forward in his wheelchair, coming up beside the giant crossbow like slingshot.

"Whoa, easy there Sly: 'Don't toggle on the throttle'; it's not used to instant action yet!" Bentley shouted.

Slipping on his goggles, Sly turned to Bentley and smiled. He gave his friends the thumbs up. "Don't worry Bentley, I'll be fine. I'll see you guys in a few minutes. This won't take long…"

Carmelita was more concerned then before. She had never felt this scared for Sly in her life. She rushed forward with Sly's eyes falling on her. "Sly, don't do this! You've been through enough! You don't have to risk your life! Anymore strain and you'll be killed!"

The cunning, bruised raccoon smiled down at her and shook her head. "I have to do this, Carm. This is the only way I'll be able to end it. Clockwerk has caused us enough trouble for one lifetime. I'll make sure he never comes back" Carmelita gritted her teeth nervously, her limbs trembling at the thought of her losing Sly.

"B-But Sly…I-I don't want to…"Sly flashed her one of his grins.

"I know Carmelita. Listen, I promise I'll come back for you. You hear? I will come back. You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine," Sly stated. Carmelita knew she could trust him. But could she really count on Sly's promise. He winked at her. "I always come back…"

With a final salute and one final look at his friends, Sly turned round and reached for the lever. Throttling the engines and pulling on the lever, Sly felt a forceful jerk and a rush of wind as he was hurled into the air by the crossbow. Within seconds, he was airborne and he was able to take control. Taking matters into his own hands, Sly swiveled the plane about and tore through the air, gaining altitude. Looking back, he could see his friends and the team van shrinking into the distance as he continued to climb. His eyes twinkled as they focused on Carmelita.

Seeing her look of hope and concern gave him more confidence. He was confirmed that she believed that he could do it. It was this look that gave him strength. Looking back, after everything they have been through, Sly could see Carmelita never doubted him or his abilities. He knew he could do it, he had to.

Turning round, Sly forced himself to look away and look back to the fight ahead of him. The hot atmosphere he was forced to endure didn't faze him but made him sweat. The pain he felt was swept away and replaced by a sort of relief. He didn't allow any negative thoughts to bring him down. It wouldn't stop him, because only one is being grounded after this fight.

Giving the stirring handles a quick pull to the right; he turned his plane and began circling the skies. The bi plane zoomed over the hellish terrain dwindling far below. From above, Sly got a clear bird's eye view of the war raging on below. He could see French Foreign Legion soldiers clambering over the German defenses, as well as witness the destruction of several tanks on either side. Screams and more explosions rang out, making Sly cringed. He turned away.

His eyes looked around him for any sign of Clockwerk. The ash that rushed at him through the air dirtied his fur. It was really hot, and the soot was dry. That giant, mechanical bird had to be around here somewhere. It didn't take Sly long to find him…

Sly took one look to his left and, through the bellowing mists of clouds, he saw him. Clockwerk was flying the same path as he was, circling the sky with his body turned so that his full wingspan could be seen. The raccoon glared at him, the noise made by his plane's engine being drowned out, just like every other sound made. It was the lock of glares between the two arch enemies that made up this scene. Clockwerk was glaring in Sly's direction too, his yellow eyes, though cracked, were narrowed in comparison. His displaced face, all smashed and bruised showed his ugly fury.

Just as they continued circling, Clockwerk's eyes shone dark red, flaring. _**"Give it up Cooper, you cannot beat me. This is my element! You are way out of your league!"**_ the owl shouted. Sly growled and wiped his goggles over, getting rid of the dirt smudges and ash.

"I know my limits Clockwerk. Apparently you don't," Sly replied. Clockwerk roared, his wings flapping angrily. They creaked and grinded loudly, showing their disapproval of being so roughly used by their owner.

"_**No Cooper, it is you who doesn't know his limits. Prepare to die!"**_ With a loud screech, Clockwerk sharply changed course and flew straight for Sly, who was continuing to fly in a circular path. Sly didn't wait long in the open.

Quickly setting up his aircraft for attack mode, Sly turned the joysticks and directed his plane towards his enemy. The engines roared loudly with the turn as Sly punched it. The boosters applied to the rear tail shot him directly for the giant bird. Making sure he had Clockwerk directly in his sights, Sly reached over and loaded the twin Vickers machine guns on his plane. The Hotchkiss machine gun on top loaded as well, the first bullet sitting in the firing chamber. At the same time Sly loaded with weapons, Clockwerk revealed his own. On either side of his neck, two MG 42 turrets appeared, their muzzles sticking out of the slots with loud clicks. Seeing as this was Clockwerk's last working weapon system online, he was going to start this with a blast.

With a final glare from both sides of the chess board, the battle was on. Both Sly and Clockwerk opened fire. The Vickers guns of Sly's aircraft lit up, the high-speed automatic weapon's gunfire filling the skies with the loud and rapid chatter-chatter of heavy machine guns. The bolt at the side of both the Vickers guns chugged tirelessly, as if pumping iron into something. Clockwerk's weapons were twice as lethal. The buzz saw like guns with their high rate of fire tore through the air, unleashing orange bolts of projectiles directly for their target. Both combatants however had their aiming thrown off, as they were continuously moving through the air to avoid incoming enemy fire. And still they kept flying towards each other.

Clockwerk's keen eye and tracking circuits kept up with Sly's movements and projectile fire. His expertise at flying allowed him to dodge through the air as well as keep firing at his foe. Because he basically felt no exterior pain, he could not feel the rush of bullets passing him, nor the heat that burned at his armor. Sly on the other hand was having the hardest time. His teeth gritted with the effort of keeping his plane in control as well as attack his opponent. He made sure not to overheat his weapons otherwise they would jam, or the barrels would melt. Time was of the essence.

Maneuvering his plane so that Clockwerk passed through his crosshairs, Sly unleashed a burst of fire, but stopped almost instantaneously. A second swoop over his enemy allowed him to fire another, longer burst, but Clockwerk once against spun out of view. This frustrated Sly so much, since he couldn't get a proper fix under all the shit flying at him. The gunfire was deafening, and the MG 42 rounds Clockwerk was using on him made him worry.

Just as the two were coming up on each other, they both let out a cry of rage. Sly quickly pulled his plane out while Clockwerk moved in another direction. They swooped by each other, barely scarping the other with their undercarriages. The gunfire and noise of the fight stopped abruptly, leaving the pair in shocked silence as they flew on. But the knowledge that their enemy was still alive kept them awake and the two of them changed course. As if thinking the exact same thing, both of them pulled up and began flying straight up through the clouds. Clockwerk looked above him, seeing Sly performing the same aerial movement as he was. His beak clenched, while Sly's eyes flinched at the sight of the owl.

"_If you want to play games Clockwerk, then lets play games…"_ With a thrust of the joystick, Sly pulled himself up so that now he was flying upside-down and straight towards Clockwerk. Hanging by a limb, Sly gripped the stirring handles and pulled the triggers. Instantaneously his Vickers guns lit up, orange bolts shooting out of the muzzles straight at their target. Sly hit on home.

Clockwerk screeched as his back and neck was bombarded by aircraft fire. The pings of metal sounded as holes were punched into him. You could see the bullets strike his backward armor, lit up like sparks. Suddenly, there was an onboard explosion underneath Clockwerk's left shoulder as another one of his altitude drivers lost pressure and exploded after being struck by a barrage of shots. Shot up yet keeping his flying mode in action, Clockwerk twirled through the air before reestablishing his targeting systems onto their new flight path. Now both of them were flying at each other, upside-down. The winds rushed faster as they picked up speed, Sly's guns continuing to pepper away at their target.

Feeling the need for extra firepower, Sly loaded the Hotchkiss gun above him, or in this case below him. The medium, French weapon loaded with a loud click and with a brief connection, Sly continued firing. Now with the combined strength of three guns, Sly shot at his target with an even greater desire to bring him down. Clockwerk acted in kind, his feet kicking up the rocket propelled system that sent him hurling at the raccoon and his aircraft. A green visor appeared in Clockwerk's eyes, followed shortly by a computer run targeting system. Yellow crosshairs beeped into life and marked Sly and his aircraft in a bright green glow. Through Clockwerk's eyes, you could see his precision.

With a load of his weapons, Clockwerk opened fire with his MG 42's. The orange bullets zipped straight at Sly, chipping the forward section of his plane and his wings. Sly flinched, this being his biggest mistake. A slight throw off course sent Sly into the path of one of Clockwerk's bullets. It struck him in the left shoulder, making the raccoon scream and bring his right hand up to it so that it gripped it to ease the pain. Sly breathed in quickly and deeply, his eyes shut tightly. It was too intense for him to handle.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at his shoulder to see a scar cut cleanly into him. The pain was incredible, yet the wound added up to the other battle scars he had suffered. The sight and feeling made him well up with anger and frustration. NO! This is what he said to himself. He was not going to give in now after coming this far. He promised Carmelita.

Setting the pain aside, Sly tapped the control panel and then took the plane into a spin. Clockwerk and Sly's aircraft met in a spin before the two of them began plummeting straight towards the ground. Both of them opened fire, letting off bursts of lead as they spun in tornado like fashion round each other, both of them popping in and out of the other's sight. After what seemed like a five minute free fall, Clockwerk couldn't take it any more and pulled up and out, closely followed by Sly.

Now on Clockwerk's tail, Sly opened fire with his Vickers guns and Hotchkiss gun, the bullets flying straight for Clockwerk and striking his tail side and back. Clockwerk's feathers were now badly shot up and his back was dotted with even more bullet holes. The bird screeched the most painful of all screams he had. His eyes shut tightly and his beak grinded uncomfortably. After a moment, he opened them, seeing the open aired wilderness pass him by as he continued to flee. Sly was gaining on him. he looked back.

The raccoon then switched weapon systems. Checking the pressure build up on the gauges, Sly flipped open both joysticks and hammered at the yellow buttons. The instant he pressed those buttons, Sly heard a rush of wind and saw a bright shower of sparks as the Katyusha rockets were unleashed. It may have been too soon, but it was now or never. The barrage was short and precise, about six rockets fired. These projectiles shot at high speed directly for Clockwerk. They hit on home striking his back with a couple exploding around him and unleashing explosions of shrapnel combined with fire.

The barrage was intense and the pain for Clockwerk was unbearable. The bird cried and screeched out all the more with the incoming flashes of torture. His armor was blown away, exposing more of his interior mechanisms then he wished. Some of his parts were on fire and so damaged it seemed as though he would be unable to fly anymore. Smoke trailed from him after the damage he had sustained and Sly's barrage was over. The bird limped on.

Sly showed no pity for his rival. For years he has tormented his ancestors and family, and succeeded in killing his parents. He could not stand to see him. The accursed plague Clockwerk had set upon him and this world would end today, right here, right now. It was unanimous. Gripping the joysticks tightly, Sly prepared to deliver the finish blow. Silence dawned as his eyes locked onto Clockwerk through the crosshairs of his aircraft. His eyebrows narrowed, readying for the recoil and explosion that would occur. He pressed on the triggers.

Just as he did, Sly felt a massive jerk and a sudden feeling of turbulence as his plane was suddenly thrown off. His face got blasted by more suit and smoke, followed by a white hot smell of sulfur. The raccoon yelled and growled before he pulled his plane back on course, his eyes looking around to see what the hell had hit him. Clockwerk saw the predicament his enemy was suddenly put in and, with a unseen grin, pulled away to hide in the clouds to recover. Hopefully, after a couple of minutes of waiting, he would finally get the desired revenge he had sought for, for so long.

Sly's eyes were wide and his brow was moist with sweat. He couldn't believe it, he was so close. Clockwerk was out of sight, and now he was under fire from the ground. But by what!

Looking over the sides, Sly identified the black, puffs of projectiles exploding as flak, and immediately knew he was being shelled at from the ground. He had to get out of this. So, with a quick punch of adrenalin, he applied more power to his boosters and dropped altitude sharply in a dive. He wheeled around and came in to a lower altitude above the volcano. Looking down, Sly saw to his dismay an entire division of SS gunnery crews far below, manning what looked to be Flak guns.

At ground level along the ash ridden soils of the volcano, Germans were rushing about with all haste, providing ammunition and sightings or their gunners. All around the area were mounted weaponry and piles of crates, all of which filled with ammo. It was an ammunition dump, and it was guarded by a hundreds of SS. There were a couple of tanks stationed here; Panzer IV's by the look of it, accompanied by a Tiger I. Other heavy armor and weapons stationed here were halftracks and Flak gun carriers. Set up on quad-stands were 88mm cannons, Flakvierling 22's, 22 quad guns and MG 42's. This combined force of weaponry was aimed directly for the skies where Sly was flying. The guns set off with enormous force, shaking the ground and deafening the area with their racket.

Sly scowled. He knew he had to do something. If he didn't get rid of them or that ammo dump, it could jeopardize his presence in the air. Making a risky maneuver turn to the right to throw them off, Sly then suddenly pulled his aircraft into a spinning dive. He dropped hundreds of meters from the altitude he had previously placed himself at before pulling up closer to the ground. He swooped over the ash landscapes, passing over ridges and hills. The entire area was occupied by warring Germans and French troops, gunfire still going off from small arms fire. Sly quickly ganged up on his next objective.

Achieving surprise, Sly unleashed barrage upon barrage of whatever Katyusha rockets he had left. At the same time he fired his Vickers and Hotchkiss guns, giving the enemy on the ground a taste of his might. The Germans at the tanks and anti-aircraft artillery quickly leapt off them and ran for cover. The first to suffer Sly's attack were the tanks, the two Panzers going up in flames, followed by the Tiger, which sustained a hit to its rear engines. A lone rocket struck the fuel canisters and drums hiding underneath a camouflaged bib-whack, the entire tent set up going up in flames. Creates and other drums within the blasts radius got caught up and reacted in kind. The entire ammunition dump was destroyed, killing anyone caught up in it. Followed by its destruction, a final barrage of rockets hit whatever anti-aircraft weaponry lying around. Two trucks were destroyed, with three gun carriers going up in flames just as quickly. As soon as Sly passed over the field, he pulled up, getting out of the way of the explosions to follow.

The skies shook with the force of the explosion, Sly managing to keep his distance and watch his handy work finish itself off. A grin got plastered over his lips when he saw a fiery mushroom cloud reach up into the skies, climbing and climbing before it stopped, black smoke replacing the fire. It was this sight that made Sly smile all the more. But his fun was over.

Suddenly shooting out from the cloud following the depot's destruction, a familiar shadow came flying full speed straight for him. Sly gasped in shock. It was Clockwerk, and he was back. Before he could even react, the bird let out a screech before opening fire on him, swooping past with incredible speed. Sly growled as he was jerked around, feeling the bullets punch their name into his plane with the force toss him around like a rag doll. His head ducked, just as a lone MG 42 round plant itself in his side. It struck across him, digging deep, but not close enough to punch a hole in him. It was a near miss.

Sly bit his lips in an effort to stop himself from yelling and looked up, eyes watery. He saw Clockwerk pull up and away, trailing smoke. He saw that both of them were injured and damaged, and it was obvious nether of them was giving up. It was a fight to the death, or in other words, both of their deaths. He couldn't win.

Looking down at his plane, he inspected the damage. He was wounded while the plane was smoking. The tail had sustained heavy hits, holes littering it as smoke poured out from underneath somewhere. It wouldn't be long till his plane would lose power and explode.

Murray, Bentley and Carmelita were watching from far below, their eyes to the skies and unable to tear away. Both Murray and Bentley were worried for their friend. After seeing what had just taken place, despite the awe inspiring displays Sly had shown them, it was clear he was beat. His plane was smoking, and so was Clockwerk. Carmelita's expression was of hurt and worry. Her hands were placed over her chest where her heart was as her eyes looked up and at Sly.

The half-lidded eyes of Sly were open and gazing down at where Carmelita and his friends stood watching. He could see them, the van and everything else. The clouds still distorted his vision, but he could still see them. When the thought of defeat passed him, he tore his eyes away from them and shook his head.

"_Nothing is impossible. I will…not…LOSE!"_ His eyes shot open, showing his fury. There was no sign of anger or hate evident in his eyes now. He had to push all of it aside to beat Clockwerk. He had no choice. The key to evil vs. evil would never work. He had to remain calm and stay strong. If he was able to beat Clockwerk before with the same stride he had used in his later fight, then he could win.

Looking up, Sly pulled his plane up and straight up towards the skies where Clockwerk hovered. His battered wings were outstretched to their fullest, creating that silhouetted vision Sly had feared for so long. But no more, he's dug his own grave. The suffering of his parents would be avenged today. Nobody like Clockwerk gets a third chance.

Clockwerk saw Sly's plane flying straight up to him. The roaring of the engine, though distant, was clearly heard through his battered ears. The clouds that once blocked view of him slowly lifted, and when he saw Sly, he smirked.

"_**Accepting death at last…how thoughtful!"**_ with a brief chuckle, Clockwerk spun through the air and shot straight down for Sly, his wings outstretched in glide like dive. Now was the time for Sly to die.

All of Sly's weapons were beat. The Katyusha rockets were used up and his Vickers guns and Hotchkiss guns were damaged from Clockwerk's surprise attack. The ammunition onboard was minimal, but Sly knew he still had a back-load of fuel for the thrusters and plenty of petrol for the forward engine. This, combined with the plane's backward force would be enough to end it. It was a kamikaze attack, a crash head-long into deaths waiting arms!

As they flew straight at each other, Clockwerk wondered why Sly hadn't opened fire yet. It didn't matter though. If the raccoon had run out of ammo, bad luck. If he wanted to finish it like this, then so be it. Clockwerk screeched and picked up the speed.

"What is he doing?!" Murray shouted, seeing Sly flying straight for Clockwerk, his guns not firing. Carmelita and Bentley could see it too and were unable to hear any of Sly's guns going off. This made them think. Carmelita was worried.

"I don't know Murray, but whatever it is, it can't be good…"

Carmelita's eyes wavered. She saw the battle, clear as day. Sly couldn't have run out of ammo. It was too soon. What was going on?

"Sly…?"

The thief sat firmly in his seat, his hands firmly gripping the handles. It was a risk he ha to take, if he had to move the plane at the last minute, then he'd be sitting in it all the way through, no matter how painful it was. Lifting his goggles away from his face, the raccoon smirked and nodded. He knew that Clockwerk could see him.

They were yards away from each other. The speed seemed to slow, but in fact it picked up. Sly prepared to push down on the thrusters.

Clockwerk growled. _**"I'll see you in hell, Sly Cooper…"**_

Sly grinned. "Save a place for me…"

Now! With a quick press down on the pedals, Sly hit the boosters. His plane rocketed thanks to the thrusters on the back. Flames burst out, propelling his plane straight for the owl. Clockwerk was bewildered. Suddenly the bi-plane had picked up tremendous speed and was only ten meters away. The time and distance between them didn't give Clockwerk a moment to gasp. Even if he did, it would be the last thing he would ever do.

Sly growled and quickly unfastened his belt. The second that passed slowed tremendously thanks to his reflexes. But when his propeller tip was within only a foot of his target, Sly felt it: a rush of wind and a flash of light. Both Clockwerk and Sly's bi-plane collided just as the pilot of the aircraft was bailing out. The skies were filled with a tremendous shock wave followed up by a fiery explosion, sending smoke and debris flying everywhere. In the background of the explosion, there was a loud, metallic screech, the sound of Clockwerk's life ending with the moment. But there was nothing else.

Carmelita saw Sly's plane disappear with the explosion and gasped. Rushing forward, she held her hand out and stretched it as far as she could, as if wanting to reach Sly. But it was too late.

"NO!!!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	11. Chapter 11

_**SLY COOPER**_

_OPERATION: RESSURECTION_

Chapter 11

_**The crash site…**_

Just over the ridge, beyond the area where the Cooper van was parked, the wreck of what was once Sly's plane lay scattered in pieces, accompanied by the remains of the once diabolical menace Clockwerk. It was a mess, adding to the layers of war that has been going on.

The ground was disheveled, mechanical parts lay smoking and several craters were also punched into the area. Note that these weren't made by mortars or artillery cannons. Some of the metal debris pieces were intact and could be identified, such as the crumpled propeller of the big plane and what looked to be the barrel of a Vickers machine gun. But nothing else looked remotely like a plane part.

This was the final result of the battle. When Clockwerk collided with Sly's plane, both of them went up in a ball of flames, scattering their ashes and cinders over the mountain landscapes. Crumple zones could do nothing because both combatants were practically disintegrated from the force of the impact. Clockwerk was beat, his body in pieces. The key parts of his body seemed to be the only pieces intact. It was what you could make of what you would call body parts anyway. His wings were torn to shreds, his tail feathers were burnt, his chest chassis was riddled with bullet holes, his claws were blunt and his head…mainly his face, was battered beyond recognition.

But where was Sly…?

Running out onto the field, a familiar inspector fox emerged from the horizon. She got the biggest shock of her life when she saw the wreck of Sly's plane, and the damage that was done. She froze on the spot, unable to move or speak.

Her eyes, which were wide with shock, wavered and welled with tears as she stared from the very edge of the crash site. _"No…no…NO…NO…NOOO!!! SLY!!! This can't be!!!"_ Carmelita cried in her head. She clenched her fists angrily, but unclenched them when she realized throwing a fit wasn't getting her anywhere. Even though it looked like she was going to, she was unable to because she was overcome with grief. She was in disbelief. It felt as though her heart had shattered.

Letting out a cry, she rushed out onto the crash site and began running around, getting onto her knees and digging through the piles of twisted, smoking metal to look for any sign of Sly. Heaps of plate and armor were shoved out of the way, even dirt as Carmelita searched. She refused to believe he was gone and dead. If she was to find any piece of him…well…God knows what effected it would have on her.

While she sprinted around, up heaving bits and pieces of metal, Murray and Bentley arrived. They stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they laid eyes on the crash site, gasps emitting from their mouths. They both trembled on the spot, at the same time they watched Carmelita run around and throw stuff out of the way, looking everywhere. Every bit of hope they felt was extinguished, and replaced by disbelief and shock.

Murray's bottom lip trembled like every limb in his body. He felt like he was going to collapse.

"No…NO!!! This isn't right! No one could've survived…uugghh! Sly! He can't be gone…" Murray yelled, his fists clenching and shaking. The hippo shook his head, shutting his eyes. Bentley felt the same way, only he was more speechless then anything else. Even so, his mind wasn't silenced…

"_Sly…AArrgghh…I told him…I TOLD HIM! He wouldn't listen to me! Damn…of all the things…this…this is the worst! Now he's never coming back!"_ His mind screamed and screamed. Though in his conscious state he was saying that Sly was never coming back, but in the back of his mind, subconsciously, he was hoping he was still alive.

Carmelita was terrified, not for her but for Sly. She wanted to find him. She wanted to see him. She wanted him to be alive more then anything else in the world. Despite the war going on around her, all she could think about was him. Until she found that he was alive, she was not going to stop looking.

And so she continued to dig around, lifting up pieces of metal and throwing it away. She even tried looking underneath large Clockwerk parts, showing no pity for the big, evil creature. Carmelita even tried digging underneath particular piles of dirt, rock and gravel. Even when her hands were cut up and bleeding, she continued digging. The pain she felt in her heart was worse then any other pain she was experiencing. She refused to believe Sly was dead.

Murray and Bentley watched and waited. Time ticked by slowly, with the sounds of artillery still booming in the distance. Was there no end to this pain and suffering? Just watching Carmelita dig away was agonizing enough. Sly's friends could do nothing but pray, knowing that it was hopeless. They decided to pay their respects to their friend.

Exhausting herself, Carmelita fell to her knees and panted, sweat pouring down her. Every breath she took was raspy, and her clothes, not just stained with blood, but were stained with tears. A river of tears ran down her cheeks, dripping onto her lap. The vixen was shaking, shivering and trembling. Her entire body shook. The agonizing feeling of Sly being so far away now was indescribable.

Carmelita sniffed and sobbed, more tears pouring from her eyes. "Sly…no…please don't be dead…I…I can't believe…" She shook her head and shut her eyes before hunching over. The girl let out a wail before breaking down into a fit of cries and sobs. Her voice drifted on the wind, carrying out across the dead landscapes. It was from her curled up spot did she express her true feelings for her 'criminal'.

Murray and Bentley watched Carmelita with saddened expressions, feeling sorry for her. In spite of everything they have been through, chased all across the globe by that woman, they couldn't help but feel sorry. In this time of grief, it was hard to not feel sorry.

Carmelita sobbed even more, sitting up more. She didn't hold back her tears, nor did she try. She let them poor out freely, hoping Sly would come back to her. But it wouldn't help her, not now. It was impossible to bring someone back through tears.

"H-He can't be gone…not before we…we even had a chance together," she whispered, her voice coming out in a stutter. Her fingers laced together on her lap, comfortably sitting where they were. Her body trembled slightly all the more from her outbreak.

From there she sat in silence, keeping to herself and ignoring everything else around her. She just wanted to be alone.

While she was grieving over Sly's death, she failed to notice something happen to the Clockwerk parts. All around her an inaudible hissing accord, a bubbling sensation issuing off of the owl's parts and gear work. Smoke accompanied this as the parts suddenly began to dissolve. The head of the maniacal bird seemed to melt into the ground, turning an awful black color before taking a tone of a pile of ash. The other parts, though the final result was dirt and dust, seemed to fall to pieces instead as the very essence of Clockwerk's evil was lifted, dissipating into nothingness. All present but Carmelita noticed this. Murray and Bentley were surprised. They looked at each other briefly before smiling.

"Clockwerk's key chip must have been destroyed…he's gone," Bentley stated. Murray sighed and wiped his forehead, his expression still a little down.

"Yeah…thank God…it's finally over. No more nightmares, no more chasing after a ghost. Everything that is and was Clockwerk is finally gone!" he roared. As soon as he heard his own voice boom over the horizon, he tucked down a little and looked around nervously. He hoped he didn't alert anyone of their presence here, or jinx the curse for that matter. Even so, it was still over. This left Murray and Bentley in the awkward silence again, their eyes turned down to the floor.

Carmelita looked up, her eyes still shedding tears. The memory of Sly's voice, image and smile were still in her mind…as well as the gentle caress of his loving embrace and lips. She lifted her fingers to her own lips and pressed it tenderly, as if wanting to remember what she really felt in those few, precious seconds locked in that kiss. Blinking sadly a couple of times, she lowered her hand and sighed, her head dipped.

"I'm sorry Sly…sorry I couldn't be with you…"

As Carmelita knelt in the middle of the crash site and Murray and Bentley watched from afar, a unexpected miracle occurred. Behind the ridge where Murray and Bentley stood (behind them to be more accurate), a large piece of the plane lay smoking, dug in deep in dirt. It turned out to be Sly's bi-plane wing, its sides and armor scarred and blackened with the explosion that had engulfed it. It was lying on its side but was still buried under dirt and ash. It was still for a moment, but then, it moved.

Behind the backs of Murray and Bentley, out of ear shot and sixth sense, the wing of the plane continued shifting and bobbing. Something was pinned underneath it, but what or who? The answer came in the form of a familiar, ring-tailed hero. The wing was pushed aside forcibly and with great effort, the dust covered raccoon emerging from his cover. He groaned in agony and shook his head before looking up, his eyes adjusting to the light. Though things were blurry, he could still see things clear as day.

He saw Bentley and Murry on the ridge, both of them with their heads bowed and looking sad. Sly blinked in puzzlement. Why would they be…? It hit him a second later. It must be the crash site. Surely they believe that he had gone down in the explosion. Well, he was literally blown out of the sky and he fell a thousand feet at least, but thank God for his paraglider.

Shaking his head to get the dizziness out, Sly staggered to his feet, dust and dirt falling off of him. His body was even more battered and bruised then before. Looking him over, you would with no doubt cringe at the sight. He was bleeding from all sorts of cuts and bad bruises, as well as the trickle of blood that ran down from the corner of his lip. He also had a massive bruise on his forehead. His shoulders, though broad, were scrapped and cut. His gymnastic toned chest and torso were badly battered, plus he didn't have his shirt. It was torn away when his plane exploded. The only thing he had left of it were blue and yellow tatters hanging out over his belt from where they were tucked in. At least he still had his pants, which by the way were ripped and torn. His red pouch that held the _Thievius Raccoonus _remained strapped around his leg, untouched but still dusty. He still wore his shoes, and to finish off his new look, his hat was gone with his mask damaged.

Dragging his feet and using his cane as a support or crutch, Sly limped over to his friends. They still didn't know he was behind them, and they still didn't when he was standing right between them. They were still staring at the crash site where Carmelita was, their expressions saddened and lost of happiness. Sly looked from left to right at the pair of them, puzzled and utterly befuddled. He leaned forward a bit, looking down at the smoking wreckage of his plane. He nodded his head, as if impressed by the sight. Hunching an eyebrow with his tail waving behind him absentmindedly, the raccoon smirked. A cool breeze blew through them and over the volcano, waving all their loose clothes and hair about, carried by its gentle caress.

Sly shrugged, deciding to acknowledge his presence now.

"(Whistles)…wow! If that was me down there…Heh-Heh…I mean…wow. I tell you…wow!" Sly exclaimed quietly, a smile on his face. Murray and Bentley nodded.

"Yeah bud…it was a real spectacle. But now that you're dead…I don't think we can carry on with the jobs anymore…" Murray said, his voice low and sad, but still carrying his accent. Bentley nodded in agreement.

"With you gone…the world seems a little darker…" Bentley added. Sly looked from Murray to Bentley several times, surprised. Doing this a couple more times a little more, he blew and shook his head. Taking his trusty cane, he began limping down the hill.

"Don't say that guys…you're giving me way too much credit. You're acting like it's the end of the world…"

As soon as Sly was down at the crash site, he left Murray and Bentley still standing their, staring at their feet. Looking up, the two of them watched Sly limp over to Carmelita, both still unable to register their thoughts and realize who had just passed them. A few seconds later, everything came down on them like a ton of bricks, spontaneously acting up as if they had been hit by a hundred volts of electricity. The two of them stood up or…uhh…in Bentley's case, sat up straighter and gasped involuntarily. Both their mouths practically dropped to the floor before they looked at each other. Unable to speak, they turned back in Sly's direction, shocked into utter disbelief.

Coming up behind Carmelita, Sly stood over her. His shadow was cast over her back, but didn't pass hers at the same time.

There he stood, waiting for Carmelita to turn around. It won't be long till her instincts kick in. But the vixen thought it was someone else because the belief and evidence that Sly was gone was too overwhelming. She leaned over more, her eyes shutting tighter and her face scrunching up into a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Leave me alone! I don't…want to talk to anyone right now…" she cried, her shoulders shaking.

Sly smiled. "Not even to me…Inspector?"

Carmelita gasped and looked up, her eyes widening in surprise. She recognized that voice. That deep, husky, low voice laced with that hint of mischievous was easily recognizable, even from a distance. It was as if she were listening to it in a dream sequence. But this was no dream. She had to know for sure.

Slowly turning around and looking over her shoulder, the vixen spotted a pair of strong legs and followed them up to a waist, a chest, arms, shoulders, a neck, and a head. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the familiar figure's face standing behind her, she sucked in a breath of air. Carmelita was overcome with shock when she saw Sly Cooper standing behind her.

As soon as he saw Carmelita look up at her, the cunning thief flashed her one of his most handsome grins, the best he could muster. With a perfectly timed wink, the raccoon spoke. "Hey there Carm…"

Unable to believe what she was seeing, the vixen continued to stare up at the raccoon. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes were wide, unblinking and wavering. Through tears of whether joy or sadness, and a mixed emotion of happiness and anger, the girl leapt to her feet and fully turned around. With a cry of his name, she jumped at him, immediately encasing him in a tight, strong hug. Sly gasped when shockwaves of pain flooded through him. He was sore enough. But he didn't care. He just let Carmelita embrace him, with him lightly returning the hug.

"Oh God…Sly…Sly…you're alive…!" Carmelita exclaimed in whispers, her face burying into his chest. Sly chuckled and smiled, closing his eyes and giving her a firmer hug. Bentley and Murray were still standing on the ridge overlooking the scene, still standing gob-smacked.

After a moment or so of hugging, Carmelita looked up at Sly's bruised, yet handsome face and grinned, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't believe it…b-but…but how…?"

Sly's grin widened. "Hey…I promised I'd come back didn't I? Well…a promise is a promise…and I kept it…"

Carmelita grinned back, her face once again burying into his chest. She nuzzled him gently, her arms pulling him closer. Sly flowed with it, ignoring the pain. From there, they marveled in those long moments that seemed like an eternity. All sound around them had been cancelled out, leaving them in complete silence.

Bentley and Murray however were still shocked at seeing Sly alive and well. While Sly and Carmelita were spending some quality time with each other, the two of them began thinking how the hell he could survive a free fall from over a hundred feet after death defying brawls and a 10X megaton explosion. It was impossible.

The pair of them looked at each other, blinking in disbelief.

"How can Sly still be standing after all those fights?" Murray asked. "Not even I can take that much punishment," he continued. Bentley shrugged in response, his hands holding the arm rests of his wheelchair tightly. He was careful to avoid pushing any of the buttons.

"The real question is, 'how can he still be alive'. This just defies everything I stand by. But then again, it's his nature. Sly always pulls through," Bentley replied. Murray stared for a moment. He then smiled.

"Yeah, that's Sly for yah!" Murray exclaimed, looking up and over at the raccoon standing down in the middle of the crash site. The two of them were still hugging each other. "Man, what a guy. He has so much to live for still. I can't even imagine where we would be without him."

Bentley nodded in agreement. "Yup, those thoughts are too deep to furrow. I can't complain. This life is so much better then what we would have ended up with if we were adopted. Tomorrow, we're going to start off anew!" Murray looked down at Bentley and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah…with what?" The turtle grinned, his shoulders hunching and his head tilting to the side in a suggestive manner.

"Ohhh…I don't know. Maybe if Sly is feeling better…and if he manages to get away from Carmelita, then maybe we can take a business trip to China and see what we can turn up there," Bentley replied. Murray chuckled.

"Boo-yah! Now that's what I'm talking about. Finally something relaxing!" the hippo shouted. Once Murray was done hopping around, he and Bentley took a look back down to see what Sly and his girlfriend were up too. They both made rather disgusted faces when they saw the two of them making out right then and there. Now having them hugging was awkward enough, but French kissing…maybe it was taking the reunion a little too far.

Bentley made a gagging noise before wheeling around, Murray following suit.

"We should leave those two alone…" Murray nodded.

"Yeah, I'm in no mood to get caught up in another one of these scenes…"

The two of them left unannounced, leaving Sly and Carmelita practically alone. For a minute more the two of them kissed, but when the need for air came to light, they broke away and panted slightly. Their faces flushed, they smiled at each other, with Carmelita leaning forward into Sly in acceptance. The raccoon was satisfied.

"You criminal…" Carmelita whispered teasingly. Sly chuckled.

"Right back at yah inspector…" Carmelita smiled more lovingly, eyes closed.

"Actually, it's you all over. First you steal the crown jewels, and then you steal my heart. What else can you take from me?" she asked. Sly smirked, pulling away so that Carmelita was at arms length away from him.

"Now _that's_ giving me way too much credit. Firstly, I stole the crown jewels back from the real thief and snuck them into the palace where you caught me. And second, I think it was you who stole my heart first, and not me. Either way, I'm happy with it," Sly replied. Carmelita giggled. Now, it was certainly not her to be giggling like this, but when it came to Sly, she could open herself up. After all, they have been through so much together, whether it was playing cops or robbers, or fighting off world class villains, it was all in good fun for the both of them.

"That makes two of us. Forgive me for my mislead assumptions," Carmelita said. Sly leaned forward, his nose just an inch away from hers.

"Sure thing…Inspector Fox," Sly continued, his lips pressing firmly against Carmelita's. The vixen moaned and returned the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. The gaps between them closed, the two of them unleashing all their bottled up emotions.

The two of them however didn't have time to share this kiss for long, as it was rudely interrupted by the sounds of rifles clicking and a shout from several yards away.

"Hold it Cooper! You're under arrest!" the voice boomed, causing Sly and Carmelita to pull away sharply and break, turning back to back to be faced with a new sight. The two of them were caught completely by surprise when they found themselves nose to barrel with an entire squad of 12 French Foreign Legion soldiers.

The group had them surrounded. The battle worn mercenaries had their Lebel 1886 rifles aimed directly at the two of them. Eyes were locked, and the sights were firmly placed on the thief and inspector, weapons ready to fire. Note that all of the soldiers were anthropomorphic raccoons. Sly was frozen to the spot, unable to believe he had been overcome by these odds so easily without his knowing. Carmelita on the other hand was internally disgruntled. She was sharing a moment with her thief when these guys had to jump in. But then there was another part inside her that said she was busted. If they caught them at this time, then they knew that she had a relationship with Sly and would surely tell her CO and the Chief.

She was in deep shit now.

As expected, the soldiers surrounding them turned their guns on her as well. The clicking of rifles sounded again when they were redirected towards their new target.

"You too Inspector; hands up and don't move!" the Sergeant shouted. "It's treason to you, your leaders and your country to be conspiring with the enemy. I'm sorry but we'll have to take you in as well," he continued with his rifle aimed between the two.

Carmelita figured she'd have a better shot at these guys then Sly would and stepped forward. She pointed a finger at the squad leader and put up the best tough as nails expression she could muster.

"Listen you! I'm an Inspector and you're a Sergeant. I have been placed in charge of all field operations involving the French military as well as the Foreign Legion. You work for me, not against me, so you will obey my orders and put down your weapons!" Carmelita shouted. Sly, though impressed by Carmelita's show of baldness, courage and leadership couldn't help but feel a little out-classed at the moment. On another plate, he also couldn't help but feel right at home. His ancestor was a part of the French Foreign Legion, and because these soldiers were apart of the same Legion as well Sly respected that.

The Sergeant ignored her and brandished his rifle again, marching closer. "We all go by code of conducts Miss Fox. You have broken yours. You have betrayed your country and lowered yourself down to his level! For all we know, you might as well be working with the fascists we've been fighting all day. France doesn't have room for traitors," the Sergeant shouted.

Carmelita's confidence sunk and she stepped back. Even so, she was still pissed; so much for the 'trying-to-take-control-of-the-moment' thing. Heck, it's always worked in the past. It was worth a shot.

Sly looked from left to right, calculating the odds of him and Carmelita trying to get out of this mess. After a few more seconds and as the legionnaires approached, Sly couldn't help but come up with an ingenious stalling plan. He smirked and shook his head, looking over at the Sergeant in charge.

"Hey you!" Sly shouted at him. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of William 'Sharp-shot' Cooper would you?" he asked. The Sergeant lowered his rifle slightly and looked at Sly through a battle scarred face.

"Old William? Yeah, we know him. Studied him in the history books, we all did. But what does it matter to us?" he asked loudly, still using a threatening tone. Sly grinned, crossing his arms while Carmelita watched him. She had no idea what was going on.

"I think it means a great deal to you. You see between the year 1941 and 1945, William led the entire French Foreign Legion as well as his garrison to victory against the Germans, Vichy French and Italian forces. It was his skills as a good leader that made him the best at what he was, a Legionnaire. And like all Legionnaires, he followed the code and rules laid down by the founding fathers. One of those is that, once you are a part of the French Foreign Legion, you are always in it. This includes him or her and his or her family. I am a descendent of William. And as a Legionnaire, it is an act of treason to be turning on your own soldiers, no matter what the rank," Sly explained.

The Sergeant and the soldiers standing around Sly and Carmelita looked at each other in surprise and in thought. They weren't really expecting this to be coming out of the mouth of their target. However, the Sergeant of the group had more sense and directed his weapon at Sly instead.

"But as an army for hire, we have a greater influence over you because we were paid to do the job. I'm afraid your explanations don't cover it Cooper…"

Sly smirked. "I thought so. Then I guess the traditions of the old French Foreign Legion my ancestor was apart of is long gone…"

Pulling Carmelita close to him, Sly brought his cane up and quickly tapped it on the ground. What followed was a rush of wind and a blinding, soft explosion. What took the place of Sly and Carmelita was a giant cloud of artificial smoke. It was one of the special tricks Sly had up his sleeve. The French Foreign Legion soldiers that once surrounded Sly and Carmelita were all sent reeling into an uncontrollable vocal of coughing. Falling to their knees, the soldiers were blinded and choked by Sly's smoke screen.

"No… (cough, cough, choke)…COOPER! AArrgghh… (Cough, cough)!" The Sergeant roared, his ringed tail dancing behind him in accordance with his condition.

Little did he and the rest of the Legionnaires know was that Sly and Carmelita were long gone. If you were to look beyond the smoke and the crash site, you would see two figures sprinting away into the distance, leaving nothing behind.

Who knows where they would go next. But one thing was for sure though. The Legend of Clockwerk and his curse was long gone…

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
